FFVII: Calamity Skys
by KatAlley
Summary: Epilogue: Zax, Kunsel and Felicia fought and sacrificed much for the planet and a small measure of true peace. Cruel then that they have found non of their own, still tormented by the things they endured. However, the morrow is unwritten, and with the end of one journey another awaits those who dare to take to the sky. (A sequel to FFVII: No Regrets, and FFVII: Core Metallicity.)
1. Chapter 1

Cissnei and Balto had brought their bikes from Gongaga, when they had taken the road out of the village that they now called home. Meeting Felicia, Kunsel and himself just outside the densely jungled area surrounding his childhood home.

"You three can take mine, I'll jump in Balto's sidecar." Cissnei offered. Coming forward with the familiar green vehicle to hand it over to Zax.

"Cheers." He thanked her with a meaningful smile, recalling the circumstances under which she had previously lent him the same bike.

Zax in turn offered the forward position to Kunsel, the more skillful driver between them. Who got busy starting the motor, while Zax swung a leg over the back.

As soon as Felicia and Cissnei were comfy and secured in the side cars, they were sailing down the dirt road, still to damp after a resent shower for dust.

They slowed to a safer pace on reaching the tree line. The path through to the village being deeply shadowed as well as winding, muddy and dotted with fallen trees, roots and large boulders.

For just an instant, Zax closed his eyes to the sparsely dappled light filtering through the canopy overhead, and breathed in the humidity of the Jungle. The wild aromas vividly reminding him of his Auntie pollensalta, taking him on hikes during which she would instruct him in Gongagas various forms of martial arts, and install in him the history of his people and the Gongagan culture.

But maybe 'instruct' was the wrong word. She hard hardly had to explain a thing, so exemplary were her demonstrations, that it had seemed as though he learned through a type of osmosis.

Zax shivered, chilled like he were visiting the glacial north, rather than scorched Gongaga. "Follow the path of the sun." Polle's voice came to him so clearly that when Zax opened his eyes, he had fully expected to see her face. Instead, he was presented with the view of the village surrounded by its steep peeks, coming in to view through the dusk. And the realization that the others were part way through a conversation.

"...Gongaga gets the most rainfall on the planet, especially this time off year." Katana explained for Kunsel and Felicia's sake.

"There used to be a real problem with flooding contaminating well and stream water, as well as drowning imported crops. Right?" Felicia inquired.

"Yes." Cissnei confirmed. "Fortunately we've been able to achieve water filtering with help from the WRO, and the land that the reactor previously made barren has gradually been retaken by flood loving jungle greenery with food value. So although there are still health risks associated with the mako content at root level, there's no longer an annual famine. Gang warfare has been greatly reduced too, now it's mostly a battle against luxury developers, but all their employees are off for december holiday so we won't be running in to many of that type."

"The peeks too, you're not dealing with regular landslides any more?" Kunsel asked.

"No! With savings made on water and food, as well as local power via solar panels, and an increase in the working population. We've been able to also afford to repair the retaining walls that protect the village." Balto returned. "Even when Zax and I were kids those walls were giving way, so it's reassuring for everyone, we haven't had any incidents since."

On arrived in town, some local kids were there to meet Cissnei and Balto. Barefoot or wearing jandals they nevertheless picked themselves up from the side of the road, to chase after the slowing bikes, each of them carrying fine quilts and matts used for bedding in Gongaga.

"Ah yes, we asked the mayor if we could borrow some extra kit for your stay." Balto explained, while they came to a stop so that the children could catch up.

"Here, Mayor Sanoy said we should give these to you!" A girl who looked strikingly like Zax childhood neighbor Lolani had at that age, told them. The other little ones meanwhile occupied themselves foisting bedding on Felicia and Cissnei in the sidecars. Others were taking the opportunity to show off to visitors, pointing out their first tattoo, or twirling poi and singing as well as they could through fits of giggles.

'Sanoy is Gongaga's mayor now!? Good on her." Zax remembered the girl his parents had wanted him to marry. It seemed she had done well for herself, and would be leading the village in to a time of prosperity. Something his pops especially would have dearly wanted for the Fair family to share in. Even so, when Zax glanced in Kunsel's direction, he knew he would do everything over again in a second to be by ees side. No hardship or familial disapproval past or future would change that, not in any lifetime.

Kunsel absently looked Zax's way in that moment, then did a double take asking. "What's that look about?" Nudging him in the ribs.

Zax just nudged em back.

Kunsel shook ees head, and upon giving each child a few gil for their trouble, turned the bike to carry them the rest of the way to Balto Cissnei and Kamea's place.

"Here we are, home sweet home!" Balto at last announced, once they had drawn parallel with a familiar gate.

"You moved in to auntie Polle's old place!?" Zax blurted in shocked surprise.

"Yes, I mentioned as much on our way here." Balto's tone colored with long suffering.

Just then Kamea leaned out of the door, and using Gongaga sign language that Zax semi understood, gestured. "The guest room's ready, please come in."

"Coming!" Balto called back.

"You alright?" Kunsel asked Zax in hushed confidence. "I know your aunt's important to you."

"Yeah...yes, I'm ok. I guess I just zoned out when the cuz mentioned where they were living, and wasn't expecting it." Zax told em truthfully. "Sides, I think auntie would be glad." That thought cheered him, and the thought of Kunsel's family recipe lifted his spirits further. "I'm keen on that flat bread, so let's get in and get cooking!"

Cissnei and Felicia both had been watching them with some concern from the front door, but seemed reassured by Zax return to his previous mood, so carried on inside also.

While Kamea got Kunsel acquainted with the new kitchen, and Balto took the acquired bedding to the guest room. Zax and Felicia set the table. Cissnei discreetly hid a device of some kind, that had been left out in the overflowing miscellaneous draw, then collecting the place mats she too came to help prepare the table.

"Do you think you'll visit your folks while you're here?" Cisnnei asked of him without dulling the edges of the thing with preamble.

Zax considered it. At one time he had asked her favor in looking after his parents, to make sure they weren't caught in the crossfire between ShinRa company and himself. Having expressed no opinion of her own, Zax wondered if Cissnei felt a visit might go well or adversely.

He noted how Felecia pointedly kept her eyes on laying the cutlery. They had both been handed the lot of a shoddy father in their life, but unlike himself she had very recently lost that father, and been left with nothing but mixed feelings and further trauma to have to sort through. He wondered what advice she might give, but didn't want to corner her on a painful topic.

He realized he had been thumbing the scar crossing his jaw, so quickly dropped his hand, returned to the task of setting out place mats and other tableware. He had had his reasons for avoiding his childhood house where and when he felt he could, now that he was hear it was extra tempting to lay low. But the truth was he had been planning to visit, he had to see his mother for sure.

"Mmm! The food smells amazing." Balto exclaimed on return from the guest room, presumably he had finished arranging the guest bedding. He took up a seat to Cissnei's side.

Next Kamea carrying a platter heaving with the Ravens herby flatbread, arrived from the kitchen to sit at her other side.

When at last Kunsel appeared with a second platter, containing toppings and a selection of chilled cordials, ee joined Zax and felicia on the tables opposite side. "We made a lot, so there'll be some to have with the new year's meal too."

"Oh, good call!" Zax said appreciatively.

"You can visit any time." Cissnei added by way of a jest.

"Speaking of visiting, we should pay our respects at the point while we're here." Zax suggested.

"The point?" Felicia wondered.

"I remember you telling me about the point…" Kunsel recalled. "It's a peak here in Gongaga where certain rituals are carried out, right?"

"Yup, Auntie Polle used to go every new year, we should all meet up at the point on new years night." Balto made the decision.

Kamea then lifted his glass, and with his other hand signed. "Bula!" a local word that translated literally as 'life', but in the context acted as the equivalent of 'cheers'.

Life and the appreciation of it was a sentiment they could all get behind, In unison they each lifted their own glass and repeating the gesture with their free hand cheered. "Bula!"

The sky was on fire, meteor igniting the atmosphere, it's heat and rawer unbearable. Ee felt as if ees skin was being charred away, ees bones cracking like kindling, innards boiling. Around em Kalm was burning to the ground, the dead lay in tangles, the air crowded out by hot smoke.

Figures moved silhouetted in the smog by flames, ee knew them somehow. Veld, Fuhito, Hojo, Morgan. Ee reached for ees sword, but ees hands were slippery with blood. Blood blurred ees vision, the rushing of blood impaired ees hearing too, or was that sound the ringing that remained after a bombs explosion turned everything to white hot agony?

Cutting through the torture, a single voice reached em.

"K, Kunsel. C'mon buddy!" Zax's desperate voice a course whisper.

Then Kunsel caught sight of him, shrouded in a universe of shadow and star light, oblivion? But he wasn't safe. The explosion, or meteor, or geostigma or any number of horrors were on their way. Ee had to make sure Zax was safe!

Pitching forward off of the layered mats that made up ees bed, Kunsel knocked him to the ground and threw ees arms around Zax, shielding him from...what?

Gently, Zax draped his own arms about ees shoulders and held em close.

Soaked with sweat and puffing, ee listened for Zax's steady breathing while ee waited for ees heart rate to slow, and the echoing detonation from ees nightmare to fade out of ees head.

When ee had regained composer enough. Ee brushed away the tear tracks still damp on ees face, noticing with a chill how the black materias glow reflected off the heel of ees palm, despite it's being eclipsed by an eye patch. When the materias glow had faded at last, ee drew back so as to tug Zax upright again.

Not yet ready to address what had just occurred, ee casting about to see if ee had woken Felicia, but didn't find her in the room. "Where's Felicia?"

Zax twisted to look over his shoulder, on finding the third bed empty he turned back and shook his head at a lose. "She probably got up for some air or a drink. But K, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine now." Ee said automatically. It wasn't a lie, nor was it the truth entirely ee realized, rather it was something in between. But ee would be fine for the time being like ee had said, so making to get up. "I should check on Felicia." Ee decided.

For as long as ee had known her, and as close as they were, circumstances meant they hadn't actually spent much time together. However one memory of a young Felicia almost drowning at sea, after a nightmare had terrified her in to jumping off an AVALANCHE boat, surfaced vividly in ees mind. Maybe in response to ees own nightmare.

Ee didn't get far however, instead Zax cought ees hand holding em in place. "I'll go check on her, I was thinking I wanted to get to know her better since she's like a sibling to you, and she seems like a cool person... So come back to bed?"


	2. Chapter 2

Zax seemed so earnest in his offer. And Kunsel knew ee was struggling to be sociable at the moment. Eesides, ee trusted zax. With a nod, ee eased emself back down into bed and allowed Zax to drape the distinctive Gongagan quilts about ees shoulders.  
_

When he had done that, Zax stood saying. "First, I feel like we could do with something soothing. Give me a sec."

Leaving the guest bedroom, Zax made for the backdoor and the familiar overgrown yard, that he discovered now accommodated a helicopter beneath a cover.

"Oh, Zax hi." In his distraction, Felicia spotted him first, from her seat on the sofa that occupied the covered deck.

"Hey, so you're out here."

"Fresh air and all that, you know? I'm sorry, did I worry you?"

Stepping down from the deck. Zax cast around for the plant he was after, then when he had found it he began carefully easing it from the earth, being sure not to damage the roots. "No reason to be sorry, I was uhhh up anyway."

"Ok, fair enough. What are you doing?" She next wondered.

"This root can be made in to a drink. It reduces anxiety, muscle tension, and can aid sleep and cause mild euphoria."

Felicia's laugh was like Kunsel's, a little raspy but pleasant. "Sounds great, what's the draw back?"

"It tastes like mud, also it can make your tongue feel numb, and cause temporary loss of motor control." He shrugged.

"Worth it."

"I'll make up a batch now, should I bring some out to you when I'm done?"

"Yes please. Need any help?"

"Yeah nah, it's not too difficult." So saying. He took the extracted root inside to wash it under the tap, since the house had running water now. Once the root was properly cleaned he set to work, soaking and pressing the roots in a large tub of fresh water.

When he was done, he filled three travel mugs that he took from the cupboard with the cool liquid. And returned to the guest bedroom. "You're still up."

Kunsel had ees PHS out, a game suspended on screen waiting for ees next move. While ees attention was fixed on the stars outside the window, only drawn away by Zax's return. "That's the drink you were telling me about?"

"Yup. You don't have to drink it, it's a personal choice of course. But if you think it might help." He pressed one of the three cups into Kunsel's hand, giving that hand a gentle squeeze in the same movement.

"That third cup for Felicia?"

"Yeah."

"Zax, thanks." Taking a hold of Zax's hand, Kunsel returned the gesture.

Zax was tempted to kiss the dimple in ees cheek, but decided that ee might be feeling to rattled yet.

Together they took a long first draw from their respective mugs. Impressively Kunsel hardly even winced at the taste, and shortly ee had downed most of it.

They chatted quietly about the day, while Kunsel got through a few further rounds of ees game counting chocobo. But not long after finishing ees drink, ees visible eyelid was growing heavy.

When his best friend was dozing soundly. Zax quietly switched ees PHS off, tucked the quilts securely around em, and left the room.

Returning to the deck where he was greeted by a wave from Felicia. He dropped down in to the sofa next to her.

The beads in her hair caught the starlight for an instant, bringing the glow of the black materia at the edges of Kunsel's eye patch, to Zax's mind.

"Here you go." Zax offered her one of the two mugs he had brought out with him. He himself already feeling the affects, his mind tranquil, tension uncoiling from his frame, leaving him drowsy and at ease.

"Appreciated." She tried it, and almost spat it out again, but through some muffled laughter managed to get it back. "It really does taste like mud doesn't it" She took another sip.

"Fresh air can do wonders, but I get the sense that talking or venting or you know, that might help too?" Zax admitted, not giving himself pause to second guess raising the topic. "And I'm up to it, if you need someone to listen."

Felicia seemed to study him in the dark. It had begun to rain, softly at first, quickly becoming a tropical downpour before Felicia spoke her voice raw.

"I miss Sears so much."

Zax hadn't expected this, he had thought she might talk of Veld and his recent death, if she deemed to speak on such personal terms at all. He found himself glad for the show of trust and openness from her. "I don't blame you. It's got to hurt like I can't even begin to describe, losing someone that close to your heart." Zax had seen and experienced a lot of loss in his own life, Essai Sebastian and Angeal's deaths stood out as particularly painful, even post his own stint in the lifestream. Even so, if he were in Felicia's position, and it was Kunsel who had been killed? He didn't think he could have borne it.

"When he was killed it felt like I stopped living, surviving was the best I could manage. The worst had happened, and it left the world around me paper thin. Grief and guilt they can't be reasoned with."

Giving her time to object, Zax gently rested a hand on her shoulder in a bracing gesture. "Living like that, it's got to take a toll. And if blocking it all out just to be able to carrying on was the only way through, how do you start to come to terms with any of it now…" As far as Zax understood it, Sears had been her confidant and truest companion, joining AVALANCHE only a few months after Kunsel had gone under cover in the SOLDIER program. From the lifestream Zax had witnessed Sears's sacrifice, protecting the planet from Fuhito, and standing by Felicia even if it meant his own death.

A node from Felicia told Zax that his words resonated with her. "He wanted me to be happy, but I'm beginning to realize I've forgotten how, or what it feels like. Any happiness seems distant and unreal, like I'm out of sync."

They sat together like that a long while, with the storm growing in intensity.

"I felt I ought to get to know you better, before I said anything. But, it seems like the right moment."

She lifted her head at this, the curtain of her choppy hair falling away from reddened eyes.

He went on. "I meet Sears during my time in the lifestream, he's a pretty cool guy..."

A small sob of a gasp escaped Felicia before she could clap a hand over her mouth.

"...He wanted me to let you know, that he's ok. He's proud of you for making it, and that he'll be waiting for you."

Zax let her cry, an arm around her shoulders, until she found her words again.

"We should probably head in huh?"

"As long as you're ready."

"Yeah, I think I'll be able to sleep now."

Before stepping through the threshold back in to the house, she stopped him to say. "Thank you for passing on Sears's message. It means more than I can say, to know he's out there somewhere still."

Zax offered a nod and small smile in return. He was glad to have solidified a friendship with Felicia, as well as to have helped even if it was just a little. But their conversation had also offered him some greater insight in to what Kunsel must have endured for years, and for that he was also thankful.  
_

New years eve was scorching. Hardly the barest hint of the previous nights storm remained, when Felicia emerged from the house on to the sun baked deck.

The others were in the yard already. Cissnei and Kamea occupying the sofa, were having a conversation about what should be included in the celebratory meal. And on some mats out in the grass near the helicopter, Kunsel was playing a ukulele that had been on display inside. While Balto tattooed Zax, and Zax rested his head in Kunsel's lap, complaining about the pain.

"I didn't know you knew how to tattoo." Felicia drew near to get a better look at the stylized sunshine, that Balto was chiseling in to the flesh of Zax's hip, near a preexisting tattoo of a shooting star.

"You know what? I don't think he dose, a dullhorn has a lighter touch then this guy!" Zax exclaimed.

Kunsel for ees part singsonged. "Zax the fearless, bravest of us all, his smile like sunshine could shoe away the rainfall." To the tune ee was inventing on the instrument ee played.

"Only K's wonderful voice is keeping me fortified..."

Balto cut his cousins faux dramatics short. "Our aunti Pollensalta personally tutored Zax in fighting arts. And me in the art of tattooing."

"She had a good eye for talent then." Felicia complemented.

"He did this swan for me a few months ago." Cissnei had come over from the sofa to share some icy cordial with Felicia, and caught the tail end of the discussion. She turned, and where her back was exposed by the lava lava she wore, was displayed the image of a swan wings out stretch water rippling around it.

"It looks so real!" Felicia admired. The quality and composition of the piece really was inspiring.

"He also did Kamea's geometric dot work."

"Ouch ouch ouch!" This outburst from Zax had them all laughing.

An idea was beginning to form in Felicia's mind, which she put words to. "How much do you charge for an arm band?"

Balto realizing he had been addressed, responded. "For you? Free of charge. What are you thinking you'd like?"

"A photo realistic camouflage printed bandanna." She described the accessory Sears had never been without.

"I think that would make a nice tattoo." Said Cissnei, who had meet Sears when the Turks and AVALANCHE were at odds, so knew the relevance of Felicia's chosen design.

Kunsel and Zax also shared an approving look. "That would make a great gesture." Kunsel encouraged.

"I think Sears would reckon so too." Zax added.

"If you want to go ahead with getting your ink, I can start after lunch?" Balto offered.

There was no doubt in her mind. Hand resting over the position about her arm where she would receive the piece, Felecia managed past the unexpected lump in her throat. "That sounds good."


	3. Chapter 3

With Balto finally getting around to his lunch, while making practice sketches of a tied bandana in a notebook. The others put their shoulder to digging a ground oven, or too preparing the raw greens and hot rocks that would be going in the ground oven.

"I'm going to go see my folks after we're finished here." Zax mentioned, piquing Kunsel's interest.

"Should I come along, moral support and all?" Ee offered.

Zax's expression was one of gratitude. "I'd like my ma to meet you."

"I hope it goes well for you. Trying to navigate a difficult situation like that can be a bit of a lose lose deal, but as Kunsel said ee'll be there, and we'll be here for you when we meet up tonight at the point." Felicia had evidently figured out that the situation between Zax and his parents was fraught, despite not having been explicitly told.

Zax gave a wobbly smile. "I was actually hoping to find a moment to ask your advice. Thanks, it's reassuring."

She nudged his shoulder, then they were back to focusing on the task at hand.

Next the hot rocks from the fire, and food baskets were put down. Over top, sack cloth several tarps a heap of earth and a sheet of corrugated iron, were employed to keep the heat sealed inside the earth oven.

The majority of the preparations completed, Zax and Kunsel each wished Felicia well in receiving her tattoo. And Cissnei volunteered to sit with her friend through the inking process. So Zax and ee went ahead on their way to the Fair household.

During the walk, they were stopped several times by locals who recognized Zax, and wanted to offer a word of welcome, or in true Gongagan custom offer food. There was a man and his grandchildren pushing a wheelbarrow with root vegetables near spilling from it, an auntie sweeping up who insisted they have some buns. And even an employee for the luxury developers in Junon, staying in town over the holidays, who nodded at them from behind sunglasses and a dust mask while filling a container at the public water pump.

"...missing in action for so long, we've all been worried, but your ma never gave up hope of you're being alive. You and your friend be sure to visit her, ay baby?" An old neighbor, who had been sitting in a plastic chair on her deck when she had spotted Zax, concluded.

"That's where K and I are headed now, we'll give her your regards." Zax told her, leaning on her fence.

"Make sure you get those bananas to her before she starts on the new year's meal. They're best cooked..." She trailed off. "Say, you ever run into that auntie of yours?"

"Pollensalta? She's out there, I've got some friends back in Edge who've had several errr run ins with her too."

Kunsel had to stifle a smile at this, recalling ees own encounter with Zax's auntie. She certainly was unusual and elusive. But according to the accounts given by the current AVALANCHE, she was also up for a fight.

Bananas root veggies and buns in hand, they pressed on.

"Things can only go so wrong, right?" Zax murmured quietly, eyes fixed on the sun set as if he wanted to follow it towards escape.

"Things can only go so wrong." Ee reaffirmed, bumping Zaxs shoulder with ees own, ees arms being to full with near a weeks worth of snacks. "Sides, if it comes to it, you can oblivion us clear across the planet to the Great Glacier."

That got a laugh out of him.

On their approach, a grey haired woman wearing a vivid purple dress in the style typical of the region, burst from the door. For a hesitant instant she halted part way down the step, just looking Zax over.

"Hey ma." Zax broke the quiet. "I'm sorry I haven't seen you in so long."

almost stumbling, and too overcome for words, she meet her son halfway in an embrace that lifted her from her rubber slippers clad feet. "You're here now that's all that matters, you're here, you're really truly...oh Zax!"

"It's good to see you too." He steadied her, though he looked unsteady himself. "How have you been holding up?"

She took a moment to dab her eyes and blow her nose. "I've been getting by. But that nice girl Cissnei said you'd be back, and now everything's ok again." She held his hands tightly, her dark eyes so like Zax had been before mako treatment, fixed on his face.

Zax pulled her in for a second hug, rubbing her back while she sniffled.

"So, who's this with you?" She got out, voice threadbare. Turning to Kunsel she apologized. "I'm in a complete state, you'll have to forgive me."

"Misses Fair, don't even worry about it." Ee had been much the same way when Zax had returned from the lifestream.

"Ma, this is Kunsel. We were in Soldier together." Zax introduced them.

"As a spy for Avalanche." Kunsel explained.

"Ee erm, well the short of it is ee helped me get my life back post ShinRa's fall. And, ees my...partner, it's a thing."

"Oh you're Kunsel, Cissnei and Balto speak highly of you!" She renewed her appraisal at this last, eventually deciding. "We'll it sounds like you've taken good care of my Zax, and if he's happy then so am I. I look forward to getting to know you Kunsel."

Not having anticipated such warm acceptance, Kunsel found emself having to sniff and blink a little. "I appreciate the welcome, it means a lot. And it's an honor to be a part of your son's life." Shifting the heap of food in ees arms ee then offered. "Should I carry this stuff inside for you?"

She whispered overly loudly to Zax. "Good looking too, you do know how to pick them."

Kunsel's face heated. Zax meanwhile had a proper lean back laugh, while his mother showed the two of them in.

The house inside was much like Cissnei Balto and Kameas place. Furnished with decorative mats, an eclectic assortment of furniture, and an abundance of woven new years decorations in the form of kites and stars.

"Here on the table darling." Misses Fair helped em unstack the awkward heap of greens fruits and other goods.

Zax, having disappeared in to the recently installed kitchen extension, returned with a jug of the ever present cordial and drinking glasses. Setting down the tray, he drew breath but the words must have been difficult to utter.

Misses Fair saved him. "Your pops is up stairs in bed. He's doing well for his age, but ageing is what it is. And Zax, I won't insist you see him, it's up to you."

Zax nodded more for his own sake than to indicate that he had understood, as if the movement could dislodge some of the nervous tension he must be feeling. "In that case, can I have K keep you company while I go upstairs?"

"Of course darling. You leave this charmer of yours with me, ee can help me suss out the new year's meal."

Kunsel rolled up ees sleeves. "See you when you get back down." Ee told ees best friend, wanting him to know that he had support close at hand.

"Keep the getaway car humming." The trepidation was evident in his body language, he had a thousand times more confidence going into a fight than heading up the stairs.

Part of Kunsel wanted to say forget it and spear him the ordeal, but this was Zax's choice, ee would stand by him through it and any resulting fallout.

"So what is it that keeps you busy?" Misses Fair wanted to know. She gave em a machete and some greens to peel for roasting in the oven.

"Ah well, I've been volunteering with the community of station workers based in Midgar since meteor. That's about it, I don't get out much" Ee laughed a little at emself.

"Actually, we've had the majority of the materials used in restoring and building better infrastructure here, flown in from Midgar by the WRO. Thank you for the work you do, you'll give my thanks to your colleagues too?"

"For sure, some friends of ours Fang and Noa do a lot of the coordinating and put in a load of elbow grease, so they'll be glad to receive the feedback."

"Not only is Zax alive, but he's happy too. I suppose he made the right choice in going off on his own all those years ago." She confessed unexpectedly. "I'm afraid his pops is as convinced as ever that he has the right of it. A confidence that as an idealistic and naive young woman drew me to him, not anticipating that with time, callousness and prejudice would color his certainty. My husband isn't a very pleasant or accepting man, and next to him I wasn't the ally Zax needed growing up, it was always easier to side with his father. Instead my sister, Pollensalta was his support and shelter. Now I hardly know my son, he's all grown up strong handsome and an entire stranger." She renewed her efforts towards the meal, her tone shifting from wistful to embarrassed with her next words. "Ah, but this probably isn't the kind of thing you want to hear about on new years eve."

Not hesitating Kunsel returned. "Zax cares about you a lot, he hasn't made a secret of that, and he's expressed to me his want to reconnect with you. You have the now, as long as you have that, you can make things right in the present." Ee urged. Kunsel had learned that lesson the hard way emself, to live each moment so that ee would have no regrets.

At about the same time as the greens were roasted and ready for serving with zeio sauce, gravy, homemade bread and banana pudding. Zax returned down stairs, looking tired yet quietly undaunted.

"Pops is sleeping." Zax announced. And crumpled in to Kunsel's offered hug. "That pudding looks amazing by the way, good on you two."

"I assume that means we're staying for new years dinner?" Kunsel suggested, coaxing him over to the table. Ee wanted to give the family a little extra time together, if all were willing.

"I'd welcome the company." Misses Fair invited tentatively. Atanding from the table to hand over the serving utensils.

"Awww ma." Zax got started dishing up for the three of them. "Just you try get rid of us before fifth helpings of desert!" His words were all levity, but it was clear that the food was a secondary draw.  
_

Half an hour before the new year of εγλ 0013. Having helped eat, and clean up after the meal. Kunsel and Zax were due elsewhere, and Zax's ma was past ready to turn in for the night.

"Ah, good. It hasn't started up raining yet. You two hurry on to Balto's place, and you might make it before the sky opens up." His mother advised, while fussily arranging a pair of her handmade lei about Kunsel and his necks.

"We'll be fine ma, you just make sure to take care and get some shut eye." He folded her in a hug. "From now on, it won't be so long between visits. And we'll keep in touch through Cissnei."

Before they could leave the yard, his mother called out to him again. "Zax, your new tattoo is nice!"

His hand went to his side, where his open shirt over his binder exposed the new ink, then the motion became a wave. "You're right it is!" He felt himself beaming with the compliment.

"Are you ok?" Kunsel started, during their stroll towards the trail that lead to the point where they had planned to meet the others.

"You mean after meeting pops?"

"Yeah, you alright? Coz if venting would help…" Ee trailed off, leaving the option open.

With the space to do so, Zax took a moment to consider how he felt. "I can recognize that in some ways, I'm a lot like him, mainly we're both headstrong. But as you know, he and I were always at odds, it was only after I left that I fully realized there was nothing I could ever have done that would fix things, or persuade him to accept me the way I am…" He felt Kunsel's fingers, a few missing, weave together with his own. Fortifying him enough to allow him to finish. "...I spent a lot of time trying to come to terms with that, and now I know I have. His caring about me or not, it doesn't matter any more, though it was nice to see him and get along on more equal terms. The people in my life now, that's who I can rely on."

"Absolutely. And, I'm glad it went as well as it realistically could have. Still it's got to be a lot to process, so if you want to head home to Midgar, you can say so."

"If you really don't mind? After we meet up with the others of course."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

A sense of affection swelled in him. "K."

"Hum?"

"Thank you for always having my back."

Kunsel squeezed his hand.


	4. Chapter 4

Having guided them in their walk to the mountain trail, Zax explained while they climbed. "You might have noticed the cemetery is across the road from this path?"

Kunsel agreed. "Yeah, I remember you mentioning that your uncle was buried there."

"Yup. The reason the cemetery is so close to this mountain is because this is the first place in Gongaga and in fact all of Gaia, according to modern time zones, to be touched by the sun's light. Most days of the year that is. So it's believed that the spirits of those who have died, follow the path of the sun moon and stars north, back to the traditional homeland."

Their conversation was paused for a moment, so that they could carefully wade their way through a waterfall basin.

"I take it the peak is a pretty sacred place then?"

"It used to be a tradition for the living to visit here each new years to honor their ancestors, but when I was growing up it was only auntie who still came up to see the sunrise each year. Though it is still considered a sacred place."

At last they reached the summit, there was the familiar fire pit already crackling, the wood shed providing some shelter from the wind. And waiting for them were Felicia, Cissnei, Kamea as well as Balto. Already having spread out some blankets, and lit the torch in tribute to those who had passed in to the lifestream.

"Hey, we brought blankets for youz also!" Balto beckoned them over.

"So, should I ask how the visit went?" Cissnei addressed them next.

Making himself comfortable by the fires side, Zax answered. "It was great to see ma again. It had been so many years, I missed her even more then I realized."

"She is pretty cool, I was nervous about meeting her, but as Zaxs said it went great." Kunsel draped half of the blanket ee had received from Kamea, about Zax's shoulders, the other half about ees own.

This response satisfied Cissnei.

Kamea concurred with a thumbs up.

"How was getting your first tattoo?" Kunsel next inquired of Felicia.

A small smile formed on her face. Shrugging her own blanket from her arm, she displayed the new ink, already healed using materia it was vividly colored and beautifully composed. "I think, Sears would like it."

"I'd say you're right. It's perfect." Kunsel complemented.

"Wowah, it really is a great peace!" Zax agreed.

"Speaking of, you had a tattoo done today too. Can I ask, dose it have some meaning?" Felicia wanted to know.

Zax felt himself grinning. "In Gongaga, the passage of the sun through the sky from one horizon to the other, is symbolic of traveling through the worlds of life and death. And well, it speaks to my experience."

"It is a really nice design, But it's unusual isn't it? I'm accustomed to seeing a sun motif with a stylized face in Gongagan tattoo art."

Zax shrugged, he didn't want to bring it up in front of Felicia, in case it was upsetting for her.

"Hey, a shooting star!" Balto pointed out.

Turning their collective gaze skywards, they watched as one two three then dozens of shooting stars raced passed far above, as if to mark the new year.  
_

The fire in the pit had just burned down to glowing ash, when Kunsel felt the first drop of rain land on the sun burnt tip of ees nose. "It's about to come down I reckon." Ee cautioned the others, sitting up from ees comfy spot beside Zax in the nest of blankets they had made to watch the meteor shower.

"Yeah, I felt it too." Cissnei backed, doing likewise she got to her feet to collect the duvet she and her partners had been using. "We were talking over dinner while you two were away, and we'll be heading to Healen Lodge tomorrow to see Tseng Elena and Rufus, as well as Reno and Rude when they show up. I know it's not really your crowd, but you're both welcome to join in."

"No, as you say, not really our crowd. And we were thinking of oblivioning it back to Midgar tonight. We'll catch Reno and Rude before they take off." Kunsel excused Zax and emself. "How about you Felicia?"

"I'll stay the night hear, and head over to Helen as well. See you two back in Midgar?"

"Sure thing." Kunsel let her loop her arms around em, and gave her shoulder a squeeze in turn. "You take care alright?"

"You and Zax take care too."

Once Zax had done exchanging hugs and well wishes with Cissnei Balto and Kamea, and when Kunsel had done the same. They stood clear while Zax's oblivion whisked up about him and Kunsel.

"See you all again soon, happy new year!" Zax called.

"Soon!" Felicia promised.

"Happy new year!" Cissnei and Balto called.

Kamea waved them off and signed. "Come visit again soon".

When they appeared in sector eight square it was with a splash, the tropical rain having just caught them, just before they were carried through space to an entirely separate place.

"Ahhh, I forgot it's winter here!" Zax lamented. And rightly so, it was morning in the north of the old continent, and as frigid as one would expect.

"Let's get back to the station ASAP, there's hot carob with our names on." Ee got out past chattering teeth and misting breath.

"You look like a proper pair of beached bottomswell." Reno's greeting preceded him, Reno himself appearing a moment later from the direction of LOVELESS avenue pushing one of the hoverbikes the station volunteers had scavenged from deepground.

Rude was with him, also in possession of a hoverbike. "Headed for station zero?"

"We just got back from flushing out a few allemagne that got to the plate somehow." Reno explained. "So if we're headed the same way, hop on. The whole oblivion thing is something of a secret right?"

Gratefully Zax and ee stepped up on to the vehicles after Rude and Reno respectively.

"Good call." Rude intoned.

"If anyone asks, tell them we caught an early WRO flight back...and fell in the square fountain." Kunsel spoke and signed so that Reno could make out what was being said over the hum of the hoverbikes.

Zax tugged embarrassedly at the hem of his soaked top.

"Piffft ha, yeah will do!" Reno assured.

Despite the laughter brought on by the plausible absurdity of the second part of the alibi, they all knew from experience how important it was that Zax ability stay a secret. Zax could easily be targeted for his connection to JENOVA, as had happened before.

"I'll let Argento know to expect you." Rude offered, before getting on his COMM.

On arrival at station 0, Argento who had been given a heads up about their return, had had mylar blankets set out on the front steps for them.

And when they rustled their way into the foyer, looking admittedly a bit like two garlic bread loaves. She rose from studying a model of Midgar, to say by way of greeting "I sense a great story, how did you get back so fast and get so soggy doing it?"

"They caught a lift with the WRO." Rude offered convincingly.

"The fountain in sector eight." Reno gave as the reason for their soaked state. "Kaaasploosh." He elaborated at their expense.

Trying to maintain a straight face, Kunsel glanced Zaxs way out the corner of ees eye. Zax had no such qualms, laughing wholeheartedly at the delivery of the fib.

"You two head on upstairs, have a hot shower and get to bed. You must be freezing and exhausted both." Argento excused them.

"That about sums it up" Zax thanked her, huddling close to Kunsel.

Kunsel vigorously nodded ees agreement, to chilly to put words to it.

All four of them, Zax Reno Rude and emself, took the lift up. The turks presumably aiming for the helipad.

"This is our stop." Kunsel announced on reaching floor 64, the once staff recreational area, that still housed working shower facilities.

"See you next year then." Reno gave a casual salute. Rude offered a nod.

"Have a safe flight!" Zax called as the elevator doors closed to take Reno and Rude up further still.

When they arrived in the locker rooms, the showers were all free. Hauling off their waterlogged clothes, they quickly slipped into a shower stall each. Sighing in unison once the ice was washed free of their bones by instant hot water.

"We should take Argento up on her offer, and have a kip here before heading over to station eight." Kunsel decided.

"I hear you, I'm knackered. Can't wait to get stuck in to prep for the new year's meal though, how lucky are we, new years dinner in two time zones." He laughed.

"Speaking of, got any new year's resolutions?" Kunsel was curious to know.

"Yeah actually, I've been thinking about it, and I reckon I want to learn how to pilot an aircraft properly. How about you?"

Ee had given the question some consideration also. "I want to travel more, you and me. Like we used to." Ee had very recently gone as far as the northern crater with Tifa Shelke and Cissnei, in ees bid to restore Zax to life. Plus, Zax and ee had just got back from Condor and Gongaga it was true. But after Zaxs disappearance and death, ee had resided in Midgar solidly, the past few months were an exception. Mow atlast they were both free to go were they wanted together, at their own behest rather than ShinRa's.

Turning ees attention back to Zaxs goal of flight, ee suggested. "I can give you a refresher on the basics, but how about I talk to Noa and see if he'll help you really master piloting? He'd probably like having a copilot on supply delivery trips."

"That would be mean as, thanks K! And in return, I can use oblivion in our travels if you like?"

"Even if my buggy hadn't been totaled, that would be a big yes from me."

"Next year's looking to be a pretty good one."

Having switched the water off, toweled dry, and dressed in warm drawstring pants and a jumper. Kunsel stepped out of the shower stall, to find Zax toweling his hair dry.

"It's gotten real long." Ee commented. His hair was longer even then when Kunsel had first laid eyes on him.

"Yeah, needs cutting desperately, but I'm no good at doing my own hair."

"I could cut it for you, if you're comfy with that." Ee offered. Ee wore ees hair at a medium length now, but had kept it short during ees time with SOLDIER, preferring not to take ees helmet off for a hairdresser or barber. So had passable skill.

"Would you?" Zax agreed readily.


	5. Chapter 5

Stepping over to where ee had left ees boots, Kunsel drew ees mythril knife from the hidden ankle sheath, next ee beckoned for Zax to sit on one of the locker room benches.

Despite its still being bamp, Zax's hair was fluffy and soft in ees hands as ee cut away the extra length.

"Ahh, feels much better!" He sifted his fingers through his freshly trimmed tresses, the stubborn cowlick in the front flicking forwards again as soon as his hands had passed over. "I used to wear my hair long permanently, habit since in Gongaga cutting hair is a private thing and not often done. But I prefer to keep it out of my face, so cheers for this, I appreciate having someone I trust cut it for me."

"I'm happy to." Kunsel told him genuinely, pleased by the gesture.

"Oh!" Zax next tugged a hairband from his wrist. "You're letting your hair grow out at the moment right? Then you'll need this."

Kunsel accepted the offered hairband, noting the phoenixdown charm attached to it. Seeing Zaxs anticipation, ee looped ees hair in to a rough knot.

Zax nodded with satisfaction. "Yup, looks great. But of course you do." He complemented.

Ee felt ees face color, but replied smoothly with. "If you think I look good, try having a squiz at the mirror." Though not without a cheeky smile.

"Ee's all charm." Zax declared laughingly. Then held his hand out for Kunsel to help him to his feet. "Time to sleep?"

"Absolutely."

They took the lift to the SOLDIER floor, were everything was as they had left it. There they turned in to to rest up, before the second new years night they would celebrate.  
_

When Zax awoke at last, the sky outside the windows had turned magenta marbled by gold. And there was Kunsel before the windows, performing squats.

"Hey." Zax announced his wakefulness.

"You're up also. Good I was on the PHS to Fang and Noa, they're looking forward to seeing us."

"Let's head on over to station eight and help out with preparations." Ee had said 'also' as if ee had slept, but Zax wondered if that was the case. He didn't press em about it however, not wanting to stress em out over the matter or interrogate.

After tidying up, dressing in their bunker gear, and letting Argento know where they were going. They left for station 8, sharing a set of earphones and listening to some of Zax's old playlists recently transferred to his new handset.

On arrival at station 8 they were meet by Fang and Noa, who gave them a cup of carob each, still hot from the thermos flask. A welcome fortification against the chill.

"You're just in time to help us prep the food, come on." Fang urged. Noa meanwhile waved them inside enthusiastically with one arm, the other loaded with boxes of donated food.

Taking a few boxes of food from the front step to carry with them, Zax and Kunsel made their way to the second floor, responding to several dozen welcomes as they did.

The station kitchen wasn't really equipped for the production of a large meal. But a few designated cooks and dishwashers were making best use of the space, utensils, cookware and running water. While a number of others sat about a table in the recreation area, preparing the ingredients.

"We bought a couple of extra hands." Noa announced.

Pulling up a chair each to sit with the those prepping the food. Zax and Kunsel spent the next hour wrapping greens and bamboo dumplings, mashing root plants and adding sweetener to form the mix for steamed buns, unboxing and portioning beans and lentils to be cooked as well as rice to be made into a rassoto. veggies were diced or else julienned and added to several salads, gravy was prepared on a hob, pasta was sent to the kitchen, apples were cored and stuffed to be baked in syrup and served with custard.

And when it was all done, and the string lights were switched one. They brought the meal to the rooftop where everyone had gathered, to cheers of appreciation from those who had been on their shift.

"Kunsel, back so soon?" One woman called while she had her acoustic guitar crowd surfed over to em. "Play us that song of yours!" At that there were several hoots whistles and a wave of clapping.

Zax got the idea this was a tradition at the station.

Kunsel bowed ees head, never one for the spotlight. But took up the guitar, plucking at it experimentally a moment.

Zax took a seat on a crate, while Kunsel began a tune very familiar to him, the song ee had composed and titled 'dear friend'. Ee played it well too, despite the sacrifice of two fingers. The composition was simple, but brimming with enough nostalgia and heart to make up for any technical faults along the way.

Finding he couldn't take his eyes off Kunsel or keep the smile from his face, Zax lead the rest of the station in clapping, or drumming to the beat on their makeshift seating of upturned buckets.

At last Kunsel grew to shy, the spontaneous performance ending in ees laughter and collective applause.

First Kunsel stepped over to wear Noa and Fang had seated themselves, having a quick word with them, while everyone dished up.

Once ee was done speaking with ees two friends, Kunsel dropped down to sit next to Zax, who handed em a takeout box heaping with ees favorite foods.

"You did great. Happy new year K, love ya."

"Happy new years. Love you too buddy." Accepting the offered food, Kunsel nudged Zax 's shoulder with ees own affectionately.

All the remainder of the night was filled with good company, good eats, and good music. Plus a view of ShinRa tower repurposed as station 0, decorated with colorful lights.

The now repaired clock over the archway leading to LOVELESS avenue ticked over to twelve. While no one was watching, Zax gave Kunsel's cheek a quick kiss.

The new years day Zax woke to, was overcast and accompanied by the first snowfall the region had seen since the mako reactors were made operational.

Kunsel was sleeping still, the blankets pulled all the way up to the mythril stud in ees left ear, ees breathing slow and even.

Despite the temptation to doze in the quiet and company. Zax slowly extracted himself from the warm blankets, and the fingers loosely curled together with his own. The last thing he wanted was to disturb Kunsel's sleep, recently it seems ee could only rest when exhaustion forced it, so ee needed every Z ee could catch.

Gathering his things Zax made for the showers.

It was on his way back from the shipping crates turned shower block, around to the front of the building, that he ran in to Noa.

"Ha! Just the one I was looking for." The man greeted. "Kunsel tells me you're looking to brush up on your piloting, that right?"

"Yes!" Zax couldn't quit keep the hope from his voice.

"Then you're in luck. Today I'm delivering heavy supplies to different work sites around the plate, and I could use some help lifting." He illustrated his point by patting his stiff leg. "In exchange, how about I give you some pointers."

"I'm all over it, cheers man!"

"And if I do a good job imparting some of these skills, then I can foist all the early morning jobs on to you." Noa laughed leading Zax back the way he had come, around to the vehicle shelter at the very back of station 8.

Already there were station volunteers on the shelter roof, clearing snow. At first they threw snowballs in good humor, then they waved their morning greeting. At which point Zax returned fire, sending several snow based projectiles back their way.

Inside several crates had been stack outside of a gelnika, these they lobed in to the cargo hold, after they had the tarpaulins off of the heap.

"Through the usual channels, piloting schools, or the free education that the director of the WRO is looking at providing. It takes about three to four years to reach a professional standard, but them lot are piloting at most four times a week. If you stick with me on my delivery routes and other jobs, with the prior experience and training you received under ShinRa, you'll be at licensed level before next year." Noa told him confidently.

"That fast?"

The work went quickly with Zax helping, and was done within the hour. Soon the flight checks were completed, so the gelinka was toed out from under the shelter. And at last they were in the air over Midgar.

Moving to seat himself in the copilots chair. "Wow, this brings back memories." Zax expressed, recalling all the times Kunsel and he had gone out or returned to the city via aircraft. But now they weren't under a cooperate thumb, he was at the helm and rather than being sent out to carpet bomb some town, he was free to truly help regular people directly. Thanks to Kunsel and his other friends, he had a second chance that he would use to undo the crisis he had in ignorance contributed too a life ago.

During the first part of the day Zax learnt by observation as well as practical application, when Noa would under his watchful eye, turn control over to his copilot.

For Zaxs part, each time they arrived at the drop off point, he would head to the hold and jump down to the plate with the crate labeled for that location. Then hand over hand it up a lift line, back up to the galnika.

"You Soldier types are tireless huh?" Noa commented, when Zax returned to the copilots seat.

"Few!" Zax drew the back of his glove across his brow. "Not even close."

This got a laugh out of the older man.

Waking to see Kunsel off on ee days of inspecting salvage metal and stone, then joining Noa on flights, became routine. Soon, once he had his head around the technical learning curve, Zax was doing the majority of the flying. An instinct for maneuvering in airspace, allowing him to quickly gain in experience and skill.  
_

Zax had left in the gelnika with Noa already. But Kunsel's own group had been stalled that morning by some technical difficulties with the hoverbikes, so Reno was due to arrive from station 0 with replacements.

While ee waited, Kunsel headed back to the shared sleeping quarters to find one of the woven fans Zax and ee had been gifted while in Gongaga. It was midsummer now, and while not as hot at Gongaga, it could still be tough working in the dry heat dressed in bunker gear.

When he had dug one of the two fans out of the basket of gloves scarves and hats Zax and ee shared, ee stood to return to the first floor of the converted parking building. But noticed on the set of shelves that divided Zax and ees mattress from the next bed over, a glass of water and Zaxs suppressant pill, that kept his J cells from spontaneously forming his wings.

Zax frequently forgot his suppressant. So as was the norm, Kunsel slipped ees PHS from inside ees bunker jacket to send a quick message alerting ees friend.

[To: Zax][From: Kunsel][Subject: Watch the wings][Content: Just found your suppressant pill in the sleeping quarters. Make a reminder on your PHS to take it when you get back. You and Noa be safe up there, have a good day!]

Hearing the sound of a hoverbikes motor ee hurried down to meet Reno.

"Thanks for bringing the bikes." Ee greeted the turk when ee reached the vehicle shelter.

"Don't mention it. Now point out the problem ones, I'll give them a look over while I'm here, see if I can't get them working." Reno brandished an engineer's toolbox, giving it a bit of a rattle.

"It's these two in the corner that are playing up." Kunsel indicated the two ee meant. "One won't get up off the ground, the other's turning in circles." Ee mimed the circles, making a loop in the air with a finger.

"Yeah the second will be the stabilizers, easy fix if you've got the parts?"

"Fang will be able to show you to any parts you're after. Speaking of, Fang tells me things are just about sorted at station zero, and you and Rude can look forward to returning to Healen soon."

"You heard right, it'll be good to get back to the lodge. Still, can't say I won't miss this place, just a little." Reno spoke more to himself than to Kunsel, examining the other hoverbike as he did so.

Kunsel laughed at this. "I doubt we've seen the last of you two plate side."

Reno glanced up from where he crouched, an off center grin decorating his face. "You know it. So what about you and that BFF of yours huh, now that he's back you got any plans? It's a whole wide world out there."

Kunsel shrugged, the thought had occurred to em, but ee hadn't had a moment to dwell on it as of yet. Realizing ee needed to be on ees way, ee signed. "I've gotta get going. Thanks again for doing us this favor. Don't work to hard."

"Never do." Reno sent a lazy wave after Kunsel.

Who, walking the replacement hoverbikes around to the front to meet up with the other volunteers. Offered. "Yeah yeah." Loud enough for the other to hear, though ee accompanied the verbal with the same translated in to gesture.


	6. Chapter 6

Part way through the days flight, Zax was about to settle back in to his part as copilot, after transporting some materials to station 6 bellow the plate. When they flew over one portion of plate side sector 8, where they were due a delivery next, and movement caught his eye.

Rushing down a street hemmed in by the foundations of demolished buildings, was a pack of behemoth. Not just one, but to Zax's astonishment eight of them.

"Hey! What the planet?" Noa had spotted them also.

"Get ahead of them!" Zax ordered. "They're after those volunteers!" He pointed out the people in bunker gear being driven down the road, five of them running, one staying back to give the others a window of escape.

"I'm on it!"

Bolting from the cockpit, Zax took off towards the hold, arriving just as the loading ramp had begun opening. Not waiting for it to finish, he launched himself through the gap.

Diving through the air, adrenaline burned through his nerves, the energy manifesting in a pair of dusky wings. Which, grateful that he had forgotten to take the J cell suppressants, he used to angle for the charging behemoths.

Disappearing into oblivion mid flight, Zax reappeared the instant after, soaring right alongside one of the monsters. Close enough to see the foam around the beasts mouth, and feel the heat coming off its coat. He swung the buster, cleanly lopping off its head. And it went in to mako burn up even before it hit the ground.

When Zax landed in a crouch, it was next to the remaining station volunteer. Who sidestepping another behemoth's snapping mow, sholderd its leg, managing to send it overhead to crash on its back. Similarly the creature dissipated in to shimmering mako.

"K!" Zax realized the volunteer was his best friend under the hazmat hood.

"Hey buddy, good of you to wing in."

Cutting down a second monster, then stepping aside to let its corps slide past, fragmenting in to sparks of light as it did. Zax put in. "How did these things get here?"

"Yeah, it's weird alright." Kunsel scorched one with a materia ee had equipped to ees glove.

Making it within accuracy range, Noa blew the remaining monsters away with fire from the gelnika. Like the others, these departed on the wind as mako energy.

"Few. You ok?" Zax wanted to know.

"Not a scratch. But I should check in on the others, make sure they're safe." Ee removed ees hood.

While Kunsel contacted the other volunteers ee had been with on ees COMM. Zax likewise got Noa on the channel.

"You two good to come aboard?" Noa urged rather than asked.

"Yup, no injuries. We'll be up in a sec." He gestured to the lift line extending from the aircraft, pointing it out for Kunsel, who nodded indicating ee had seen it.

While Kunsel assured the other station workers that they didn't need to send back up. Ee and Zax made their way to where Noa was holding the gelniker steady.

"I'll catch a lift with Zax and Noa, gotta fly." Kunsel ended the call, and followed Zax up the line.

"You aboard yet?" Noa's voice reached them via the COMM, just as they swung into the cargo hold.

"Yes, we're headed for the cockpit." Zax informed.

"Good, good, that's good."

Zax had noticed that Kunsel still looked pensive, and Noa sounded it. He got the impression that the two of them knew, or at least suspected something regarding the behemoth attack.

Kunsel must have read the question in his expression, because ee tried for a reassuring smile and said. "What just happened, It could be related to...if I'm right, it could be related to my time undercover for Avalanche."

Somehow Kunsel's words rang a bell distantly, he felt he should know what ee referred to, but couldn't quite summon it to mind. He didn't have long to think on it, arriving at the cockpit in short order.

Noa gave them each a once over for wounds, finding none he said. "There's no way those things showed up here on their own. Our online monitor system would have picked up their life signals, and we confirmed that all major monster infestations were cleared out. And they couldn't have come from deepground, we've got an eye on all the routs to and from, nothing but machines down there. Their mako levels were suspiciously high too, not the sorta thing you see even in monsters living near naturally occurring mako springs."

Kunsel leaned on the back of Zax's seat not meeting Noa's eyes, while Zax took over control of the gelnika to take them back to station eight.

"Zax can you take us above cloud level?" Ee requested quietly. Still not acknowledging Noa's words.

"Absolutely." Zax agreed.

Soon they were beyond the wispy clouds in to the clear open sky above, the higher they climbed the darker the expanse around and above them became, until it felt as if they might leave the planets atmosphere at any moment.

"Got it." Kunsel had ees online monitor out, now that they were within range vertically, ee was picking up a life signal. Near their altitude, on the cusp of their range horizontally, moving at the speed a standard cargo aircraft might. "Looks like whoever it is, is heading north towards Bone village or Icicle maybe."

"Do you think it could have been him then?" Noa pushed.

Kunsel shrugged uncommittedly, but if ee was going to say anything a small coughing fit took over. The kind that sometimes did when ee was anxious.

"There's a box of bottled water in the cargo." Zax surreptitiously excused em.

Kunsel lifted a hand in leaving, still preoccupied with suppressing coughs.

"Make sure ees ok, won't you?" Noa requested at length, when Kunsel was far from hearing. "Ees gone through...a heck of a lot. No one can just white knuckling it forever the way ees been doing, that's how you burnout in a bad way."

Zax said nothing, not entirely comfortable with talking about Kunsel's health while ee wasn't present, but he did nod his agreement. And he appreciated Noa's caring.

When they landed, Zax stayed back to help the crew managing the coming and going of the stations vehicles, get the gelnika under shelter. Noa on the other hand mailed Kunsel to say he would check up on the five other volunteers ee had been with, when the behemoth had attacked, so went on around to the front of station eight to do just that.

Leaving the cockpit, Zax jogged to the hold. He found Kunsel back against a crate of bottled water, ees PHS out with an app open that allowed em to make simple music by tapping ees touch screen.

Ee smiled faintly and waved Zax over, seeing his hesitation to disturb em. "Come here you."

Dropping down beside his best friend, Zax asked. "Are you in a the right head space to talk?"

Kunsel let out a long breath, opened ees mouth as if to answer, then closed it again.

"If not, that's ok. But if you are...I want to listen, even if that's all I can do. So talk to me, K. You can tell me anything. Tell me about all the things that are wearing you down."

Kunsel seemed to remember mailing Zax those words years back, because ee responded with another sentiment they had shared. "I remember, I have an ally who's got my back."

Zax recalled em saying something similar, during their first mission together under ShinRa in the far north. "You know it."

"Then, you've noticed I'm not really managing." It wasn't a question, ee seemed to know that Zax knew something wasn't right. "I feel so stupid." Ee admitted. "There isn't a part of my life I can complain about these days, I should be grateful I've got it so good. Most importantly, you're back you're life is yours again, and I can look forward to each day like I used to. So I thought, why can't I just...stop feeling on edge already?" Ee absentmindedly closed ees hands into fists in ees lap. "Me and my PTSD are worst enemies." Ee voice rasped, but ee spoke almost like ee were on auto. "Whenever you're not in the room with me, I'm scared something's going to happen to you. Whenever I shut my eyes, I see Kalm's bombing on repeat. If the sky's red before night, I feel like I'll look up and there meteor will be. There's a hundred other things, but the short of it is I can't sleep, I can't trust myself to be sociable most of the time, I'm making mistakes out there at work. I'm having panic attacks too, it's getting worse and I know I can't let things carry on like this, but I don't know what to do or were to begin. Nothing's actually wrong anymore, so why can't I just..." Ee rubbed ees palm across ees cheek, smudging a rogue tear. "It's relentless, there's no escaping my own head."

In response, Zax just held out his arms in the offer of a hug.

Sniffing, and giving an unsteady smile, Kunsel let Zax loop his arms around ees shoulders to pull em in to a firm hold.

They stayed like that a long while, until Zax spoke in personal tones. "In case you need to hear it said. What you're dealing with is some real heavy stuff, honestly I don't know how you've coped as long as you have, so try not to give yourself a hard time over it. We're talking about it now, that's a start. And when you're up to it, we'll work on it ok? Whatever or however long it takes, we'll get through this together, no matter what."

Kunsel rested ees brow against Zax's shoulder, ees fingers tangled in the back of his bunker coat. "Ok, when you say it, it sounds just about possible."

"We'll get there, even if things can never be made totally right, they can be made much better. But first, why don't you go wash off. When you're out of the shower meet me back here, and we'll talk about this behemoth attack?"

Ee sniffled a bit, nodded, giving Zax a last tight squeeze. Then extracting emself from the hug to stand and pull on ees hazmat hood, so that the others wouldn't see ees reddened nose and puffy eye.

Zax too picked himself up with a hand from Kunsel. And together they left the cargo hold, Kunsel for the shipping containers converted in to a shower block, Zax for station eight.

When Zax stepped inside. Noa and Fang sitting around the billiards table, looked up at him.

He offered a small smile, and they shared a glance. But he carried on up to the second story. Zax knew they were just worried about their long time friend, but Kunsel would talk to them emself if ee wanted to share, it wasn't Zax's place to spill. Besides, for now it seemed Noa and Fang were willing to trust him to look out for K.

From the sleeping quarters Zax took the mattress belonging to Kunsel and himself, fresh bedding, their clothes basket and one of the donated tents as well as a lantern. All these he gathered on a tarp, which he dropped out the window, and followed jumping down himself to land in a squat. Outside the string lights still adorning the stations outer walls caught his attention, giving him an idea, so he took a few length of the decorations that wouldn't be missed. Next Zax resumed dragging his awkward collection of odds and ends towards the hold of the gelnika, on his return he set about assembling the tent.

He had just finished arranging things, by the time Kunsel got back from ees shower.

"Zax…" Ee laughed a little breathlessly. "What is all this?" Casting ees eye around at the tent lit by the glow of the lantern, their bed comfortably heaped with pillows and duvets, and the gently twinkling string lights forming a circle that encapsulated the camp site. Ees eye found Zax, sitting at the crate turned low table by a chocobo printed cloth, a thermos of carob and two tin cups alongside a box of biscuits atop it. Surrounding the arrangement comfy cushions had been put down for seating.

"I figured we could use some space to ourselves, Fang will understand."

Kunsel dropped down beside Zax at the table, and gave him a tight hug. "This is perfect right now."


	7. Chapter 7

Spotting ees collection of instruments, inside the tent beside their basket of clothing, Kunsel reached over and selected the case that contained ees mandalinine. Ee strummed it experimentally, then began plucking out a tune.

Zax poured them both a drink, broke a biscuit down the middle, keeping half to eat himself, he held the other half in front of Kunsel's mouth for em to take.

"So, who is he, this person Noa reckons is after you. Do you believe veld survived?" Zax questioned, concerned.

"No, not Veld thank Gaia. In this case, I think we both suspect an old Avalanche comrade, who was undercover in ShinRa's science and research division. He…" Kunsel shook ees head. "...I don't know, the pressure and witnessing the companies atrocities got to him. He let some of Hojo's specimens loos indiscriminately on Midgar city."

"Wait, I remember! I happened to be talking to this one coat in the exhibit room, and he admitted to having done just that. You and some thirds showed up and marched him away."

"Those thirds took him to custody, like I announced we would. But later I used some dream powder, faked his death, and smuggled him out of Midgar in a body bag. Cliff took him to Avalanche, couldn't have him snitching during ShinRa's interrogation. But later Felicia warned me during one of our phone calls, that he had sworn to get even with me, before he somehow disappeared from Avalanche holding. I thought he must be dead by now, with everything that happened, geostigma hit a lot of people especially. But maybe he's out there, sticking to his old M O." Kunsel frowned thoughtfully.

"If that's the case, then the only thing to do is be proactive about it and find him first." It was certainly better than sitting on their hands like prey, or risking the station volunteers being caught in any crossfire. Zax glanced in Kunsel's direction. "You've got a head for that sorta thing, following clues and all. And You'll have me to watch your back."

Kunsel's smile was genuine. "I might know where to start, earlier today when I asked you to bring the gelnika above cloud level, I was able to get a lock on a life signal moving at a speed suggesting an aircraft. Before my shower, I cross referenced with commercial and WRO flight patterns, and even texted shelke about it. She says it's path doesn't match any of their flights at the time, overt or covert."

"So that aircraft wasn't meant to be there."

"An airdrop would be the only way to have got those behemoths in to Midgar, without being discovered."

"Where was the plane headed again?"

"It was flying in a straight line from here towards either Bone village or Icicle."

"All right, tomorrow we let Fang know we'll need some time off. And as soon as we can organize it, we head that way ourselves."

"Sounds good. I want to be sure that if I'm being targeted, none of the unaugmented people here get caught up in this, like almost happened today." Ee shrugged. "Plus I'll finally be doing something about that new years resolution."

Zax smiled and offered em another biscuit.  
_

When Kunsel awoke, it was with a gasp unsteady breaths following. The air in the hold was cool and fresh, not hot and thick with mako like it had been in ees nightmare.

Zax was still asleep beside em, snoring, his face pressed in to the pillow. The glow from the festive lights, catching on the mythril stud in his ear.

Tucking the blankets up over Zax's shoulder, Kunsel eased emself out of bed. Heating some water in a pot on a burner ee first made hot carob. Then ee set about making pancakes from a carton of dry ingredients, the last of the batter ee used to coat apple fritters, which ee fried to crispy perfection.

It was almost dawn, Zax who had traditionally been the early riser between the two of them, would soon be up.

Realizing there was no syrup in the crate containing their food, Kunsel pulled on ees bunker coat over ees sleepwear, and started down the hold loading ramp for station 8.

On ducking under the roller door, ee met Fangs eyes. She sat at the billiards table, papers and a long cold drink in front of her. "Hey." She greeted em. "Zax still sleeping?"

"Yeah, have you been up all night?" Ee took her tin mug when ee approach the table.

"Not quite." She laughed softly. Leaning back in her creaking chair, she glided her fingers through her hair until they locked behind her head. "I was thinking about the report of the behemoths showing up plate side. I don't know if we have the numbers to guard against potential threats like that, while maintaining the same rate of material extraction we've had going. And we, Noa and I are worried those things were after you in particular."

Ee turned the cup in ees hands. "I had the same thought, but if it is that researcher Monear, then you don't need to worry about keeping the volunteers and stations safe. Zax and I have decided to do a bit of traveling, see if we can't track him down."

"So you two need time off? That's fine. But Kunsel, you two be safe out there ok?"

"You know us." Ee lifted her cup in parting and carried on upstairs. Taking a travel sized bottle of syrup from the makeshift kitchen, and reheating Fangs drink, ee returned back to the first floor.

"You're a gift from the Goddess." Fang took the offered cup, holding it between chilled fingers to sip from the brim.

"You should try getting a little extra shut eye." Kunsel suggested.

"Mmm…" She agreed absentmindedly. Then blurted out. "Ugh, when's fate ever gonna cut you a break huh? We all got pretty tangled up in some major stuff those years ago, but the past keeps rearing up to take a bite out of you and Felicia."

"Such is life, we keep pulling through don't we?" Ee realized after ee said it, that ee truly did feel a little more optimistic since last night.

"You're what now thirty, almost thirty? Just starting out still really. Make sure you and Zax, your friends too, make sure you all get to do some living among it all." Fang too sounded reassured.

"Can but try. And in case your asleep when Zax and I take off." Ee stooped and gave her a one armed hug. At last ee headed back towards the gelnika.  
_

It was almost daybreak when oblivion was called on, to spirit Zax and Kunsel along with their packs, to bone village.

When they materialized in the jungle just outside the dig site, they could hear voices and see the bright flood lights used to continue work during the dark hours.

Emerging from the tree line, they were careful to keep within the designated paths, indicated by bright plastic tape. Up ahead were several canvas tents and a hand full of people going about different tasks, cleaning the tools, examining and cataloging finds, or cooking up breakfast. A few of the crew spotted their approach and waved.

"Hey! Doctor Monear, back so soon?" One of them called, then frowned in concentration at Kunsel. "Oh sorry, I thought you were someone else. You look a lot like a researcher who traveled through here not so long ago."

"Don't worry about it." Kunsel held out ees hand and shook the mans. "This is Arrow, and I'm Bowen."

Kunsel gave as their names so smoothly Zax almost believed it himself.

"We're just passing through ourselves, actually we're looking for Monear." Kunsel explained.

"Wouldn't happen to be your twin you're looking for? I'm Able by the way" Able was a pencil thin man in his early forties, handsome with a dark black complexion, who wore his coiled hair tied back.

"Good to meet you Able." Zax too shook the mans hand.

"My twin. Did Doctor Monear stay here long?" Kunsel picked up after the introductions.

"No no, just long enough to read up on some of the things we've been researching."

At that a woman approached, She was a about the same age and a little darker than able, she wore her hair in a braided bun. "What's the haps?" She held out her hand to Kunsel and Zax. "I'm violet. Why don't you two come sit down with us, you must have been walking a ways, at night too."

Joining the crew around a heat lamp at a collapsible table, Violet told them about Doctor Monears visit, while Able returned with the papers Monear had wanted to see.

"He was writing a book on several stages of the planets history, and he wanted to prove that the skeletal remains we've been unearthing, were a proto generation of weapon type creatures." Violet explained.

"We told him, we thought the remains have more in common with the various dragons of today, but then he said he thinks they're all distantly related." Able tapped the papers on the table with his pointing finger. "Here's some DNA sequence analysis results we managed to get from a tooth, along with collagen proteins lipids and crystallized mako."

Kunsel took the papers and studied them. "Huh…"

"What is it?" Zax asked.

"This is all way over my head." Kunsel part snorted part laughed at emself. "It looks like the sequence is highly fragmented. But if I'm not wrong, it is similar, but there are a lot of differences as well." Ee described for Zax. then to Violet and Able. "Thank you for taking the time to show us this, It might have been the sign post we needed."

"Oh, that's alright." Violet shook their hands again as they all stood once more.

"You take care hiking, it'll be dark a good hour still." Able urged.

"What do you make off it?" Zax asked. "Do you think this Doctor Monear is the fulla we're after? I don't remember him looking like you all that much." Zax thought, as they carried on their way.

"That's the name I knew him by, maybe he sent someone to pose as him, who happened to look a bit like me."

"But then why use his real name, if he went to the trouble of having a stand in?"

"Ah not sure. Possibly so his stand in could use the fake Doctors licence Avalanche made for his undercover work, to give the stand in more legitimacy, and make it more likely they could get a hold of the info that the real Monear wanted?" Ee reasons, but ee didn't sound convinced. Rather ee seemed to just be voicing a possibility.

Glancing back Zax saw that they were hidden from view by the tents, so taking Kunsels hand, he drew them in to the void.

When the howling and storm of smoke that was Oblivion fell away, the howling of wind and buffeting of a permanent winter replaced it, they were knee deep in snow on the sloping outskirts of Icicle.

"Let's head to the inn!" Kunsel called over the more terrestrial storm.

Keeping their hands linked together, and huddling close, they fought their way through the powdery build up.

For a long while, all Zax could hear was the fluttering of their coats in the gale. And he was so numb, all he could feel was Kunsels hand about his own, warm and holding tight.  
_

They arrived in town before they saw a single building even, they only knew they had made it because of the light filtering through the windows of each structure illuminating the flurry.

Zax almost bumped into some farming machinery. But beyond the obstruction was the inn sign wobbling erratically in the frozen ground, under the force of the wind. Crossing the last few feet, they about tumbled through the inns door on to the rug.

"A room for two please." Kunsel wheezed.

"That'll be two hundred gil." The woman behind the counter slid a key over to them. "An extra fifty for a hot bath."

Ee paid in cash, including the fifty for hot water.


	8. Chapter 8

Trying not to scatter to much snow indoors, they stamped off first, then headed on upstairs.

The room was a bit chilly, but the beds looked well blanketed, a radiator had just been switched on, candles were glowing in the rustic chandelier. And a man with the staff of the inn, had just done running hot foamy water, in to the large bath boxed in by split logs to retain the heat longer.

"Enjoy." The man excused himself.

Kunsel locked the door behind him.

Eager to get warm, they discarded their outer layers, hanging those on a coat rack. Wearing briefs and tank tops, the two climbed in to the liquid heat.

Kunsel sighed with relief, sinking so far down ees nose came up cover in bubbles.

"Ok what's the plan, after we hit the breakfast bar that is." Zax asked, while blowing yet more bubbles from his palms towards his best friend.

"For once not much of one, I was thinking we layer up and knock on doors."

"Yeah let's give the place a bit of an explore." Zax agreed.

"And try to keep a low profile I guess."

A look of stricken realization took over Zax face then.

"What?" Kunsel asked concerned.

"Those false names you gave in Bone village, I just figured out the pun. You butt!" Zax said laughingly.

The sudden anxiety over what was the matter left em. Ee groaned, but couldn't help joining in Zaxs laughter a moment later, sunshiny as it was.  
_

When their bones had thawed they toweled off, and while Zax ran down to the breakfast bar, Kunsel blow dried their cold weather clothes.

Returning to their room with a tray, heaving under the mornings second breakfast. Zax placed it on the rooms table, and passed to the window.

"I was thinking, I'd like to visit Sebastian and Essei." He said, when the hairdryer was switched off. He hadn't been this way to visit the memorial he had made of their swords, since returning from the lifestream himself. Having caught up with Sebastian and Essai in death he knew they would appreciate a visit. Being remembered helped somehow, kept your core intact under the planets eroding and recycling of mako.

"Of course we will. First though, eat something hot, you'll need it."

"Oh right!"

They sat down to a hearty breakfast together, then when they were done, they donned their coats leaving the in.

Sunlight was just beginning to filter between the towns structure, causing the snow to glitter in the paths it took. The storm had settled to gentle gusting too, making the going easier.

Without snowboards or skeys, the hike down to the great glacier might have taken longer. But once they were out of sight of the town and slopes, Zax walked them through the void, so that they stepped out near the hot springs they had passed during their first mission together in the area.

"Good thing we just had a bath, or I'd be tempted." Kunsel commented.

This got a grin from Zax.

Climbing the road, the transmission tower was the first thing that came in to view, followed by the cabin were Holzoff kept vigil.

"He might be late seventies by now, what do you think?" Zax asked.

"Want to knock on the door?"

"I wonder if he would recognize the two kids he sheltered all those years ago."

Making it to the cabin step, Kunsel deferred to Zax to knock.  
Zax lifted a hand to do so, But paused.

Kunsel went still also.

"Did you...feel a change just now?" Kunsel whispered.

"I heard a whistling sound, but not with my ears, it was like it was in my head…"

"I was wondering when you would show." The voice seemed to speak directly in to his mind. With the unmistakable voice came sensation, balmy day light filtering through the trees of an overgrown yard, a rhythmic tap tap tapping and the barely there bite of a tattooing comb.

"Zax!" Kunsel's voice called him back to the moment.

Seeing that ee was fixedly looking back down the path they had just come up. Zax followed ees line of sight.

There was his auntie Pollensalta, a bundle of firewood on her back more under an arm, a smile on her face as she approached them waving.

"Auntie!" With Kunsel nudging him forward, Zax leapt down from the door to meet her in a big hug.

Her hair was almost entirely silver now, but she had the same strength in her arms, and her laugh too untamed as ever it had been. "It's good to see you babe, all grown and back from the lifestream even." Her brow creased with some old sorrow, then it cleared. "Look at these guns, you could bench press a duelhorn!"

"Two." Kunsel put in.

Pollensaltas eyes shifted from Zax at last, to take em in. "I remember you." Her expression set and sure, she addressed Zax again. "This one's an absolute keeper." Not pausing to allow comment, she waved her hand. "Come in, I'm sure you're both in need of a hot carob drink by now." And she pushed the cabin door open.

"You live here?" Zax wondered. "Then the old falla…"

"It's nothing like that." She put down her bundle and hung up her coat. "Holzoff and I became friends over a number of years, he did shelter my nephew and his friend after all. We talked sometimes, and eventually he came to realize that he would only be adding regret to regret if he didn't return to icicle and his wife. He knew I felt at home out here, so he asked me if I wouldn't like to inherit the place and the job."  
_

"So now you watch over Gaea's Cliff." Kunsel said, casting around at the changes made to the place.

The wood stove remained, the hot carob coming to a boil on it's top. The sofa, wall mounted shelf, lantern, the table too. But Pollenselta had covered the furniture and hardwood floor in woven or quilted rugs and blankets of the Gongagan style. She had decorated further with stick charts, a telescope, and several Gongagan spears and fighters staffs.

"It's good to know Holzoff found his way too." Zax commented, receiving the hot carob from Polenselta and passing one of the mugs to Kunsel.

Polenselta made herself comfortable at the table.

Zax and Kunsel took up a spot across from her on the sofa.

"Now you know how I came to be here, what brings you to the great glacier? Aside from my telepathic invites courtesy our J cells."

"That really was you? Jealous!"

In response to her nephews complainants she reminded. "Says the one who can step through space like it's nothing." She wheeled her hand in a prompting gesture. "So. You're not freezing your butt off for no reason."

"Oh, actually." Zax looked across to Kunsel.

"We're looking for someone called Doctor Monear, and we thought we would visit the grave of some friends while we were here."

Pollensaltas expression softened. "I hope those friends are at peace in the lifestream."

"They are." Zax assured.

"Speaking of which, you died I felt it when it happened, yet you're returned to the surface not so long ago. What happened Zax?"

"It's a long story. The short of it is, I fought ShinRa's army and lost. Then during meteor I was one of many to lend my strength to the lifestream, in order to repel it back into outer space. I thought that might have been it for me, but this one..." He elbowed Kunsel, smile back on his face. "...didn't give up on me. Ee and our friends found out I could inhabit this body, a vacant copy of my original, due to a brain implant called the DMW. Now I'm just making up for lost time."

"He's leaving out the parts where he saved Cloud who would go on to stop Sephiroth twice. And the part about prevented me from becoming ill with geostigma during meteor fall." Kunsel amended.

Pollensalter who listened with attention the whole time, now wore a firm approving expression. "Zax, you really have exceeded even what I knew you could do. That's some battle you've both fought, are probably still fighting in some ways." She nodded to herself. "Alright, it'll be dark by time you get back from visiting the memorial to your friends. When you're done why don't you come back here, you two can help me make some eats and stay the night. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to help you search for this Monear."

"We would appreciate it." Kunsel thanked her.

Zax just offered a thumbs up, through the gratitude was evident. Then oblivion billowed around Zax and emself.  
_

Having been sitting down, the two of them were dropped on their butts in the snow at the other end.

There before them stood the crossed swords of Essai and Sebastians memorial, the wide open view providing a backdrop, distant mountains looked almost like Alexander had been summoned to watch over this place.

Arranging themselves more comfortably, leaning together for warmth, they were for a long while quietly occupied with their own thoughts.

"What happened to them, happened because of Kalm's being bombed and Hojo taking the opportunity to augment me with materia mako and J cells, because of Fuhito using those experiments as a basis for creating the raven soldiers. I'm sorry it came down to you to bear the brunt of it, watching them suffer and die, I'm sorry Zax.

Zax hugged ees arm firmly with one of his own and rested his head on ees shoulder. It had felt like Angeals death all over again, when Essie and Sebastian had been overcome by the raven augmentations, only to regain their free will at the cost of their lives. It was still painful, but having died once himself had given him the chance to see them again, and a long time to heal too. Kunsel hadn't been so lucky when Zax had died. Putting one foot in front of the other with no reprieve had been ees lot. "I'm sorry, for leaving just the buster as my own memorial for so long." He told em, acknowledging the thing in words at last. He was sorry for all the lost time between them, for the damage to Kunsel's heart that would probably never be entirely undone, and the hurt it inflicted on em. Not in the guilty sense, he had worked through that in the lifestream, rather in the sense of uncomplicated sorrow.  
_

Kunsel had never been adverse to caves or subterranean landscapes. Being Kalmish meant ee knew mines and natural caves inside and out, had participated in ees share of rescues post cave in, and generally knew how to handle the terrain.

But this caves was different, dark and echoey sure. However there was something else wrong with the place, that ee couldn't rationally explain. It was like a natural prison, malevolent somehow, as if the very earth it was carved in to had been the site of some terrible event. On top of that, mako infused rain was getting in from somewhere far above and out of reach without wings, the space was beginning to flood.

Ee covered ees mouth and nose with the hem of ees shirt, to filter out as much of the mako vapors as possible. And tried to ignore the pins and needles of panic starting in ees fingers, by strumming the air by ees side as if on a string instrument.

Wading forwards in search of some escape, ee drew breath to hum to emself. But held that breath when ee thought ee heard someone else humming instead.


	9. Chapter 9

Listening hard, ees eye and black materia casting about for the source of the sound. Ee heard it again, distant and echoing, but definitely someone humming a tune.

Next ee glimpsed them. Dressed in black, they retreated into the mako mist were the shadows were deepest.

Ee was both reluctant to follow, and reluctant to let them get away. Ee chose to pursue them, being careful not to be seen emself.

The stranger turned a corner in the warren of natural tunnels, the profile view revealing that they carried something with them.

Ee went after the person, turning the corner in to an empty dead end, the stranger having vanished entirely.

Ee couldn't remember doing it, but ee had taken ees handset from ees pocket, it was ringing loudly in the stillness. Instinctively ee knew the call was a harbinger of some terrible calamity, ee let it ring.

Ee was beginning to feel lightheaded, while ees body grew heavy and slow to respond, ees vision swam coming to em in freeze frames as ee turned. Ee feelt as though ee had been stuck with an anti soldier tranquilizer dart.

There at the mouth of the passage, stood the stranger ee had been trailing. Though they were not strange to em at all, the face was ees own. Only they were without scaring, and the light of ees materia eye was missing behind the red colored goggles of one of Fuhitos raven soldier uniforms. In the ravens arms Zax lay mortally wounded, blood pouring from a constellation of bullet wounds to his chest and head, his wings dragging in the rising mako lake.

"NO NO NO!" Was all ee could articulate through welling tears, and painful breaths that weren't reaching ees lungs. "Anything else, please not him, not Zax. I'll take his place I'll take his place, let the lifestream or Fuhito or Hojo whoever have me instead, just let him live!" Ee's voice splintered.

The raven was coming forward now, each step sounding like a gunshot, eyes focused on em. They hummed a tune while simultaneously and impossibly speaking to em in ees own voice.

"He was on the run, but he returned to Midgar. He was trying to get to you, trying to keep his promise to meet up again soon, you remember." The raven growled with ugly satisfaction. "He wanted to run away with you that was all, but you let him down. You weren't fast enough strong enough smart enough, you couldn't escape Midgar and missed your chance. Your best friend was murdered because you failed him, his life cut short by a traumatic death after years of torture. How dare you believe there's anything you can do now?"

The raven stood directly before em at last, meeting em in the middle where ee had come desperate to take Zax in ees arms, to pull him back from death. But ees PHS was still ringing.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" The raven asked.

Somehow ee understood that ee must, or Zax would die. Ee hit the button to accept the call, headless unhesitating. "No more regrets." Ee formed the words without the sound leaving ees lips.

At first there was a long stretch of silence, an electric click, then a barrage of gunfire and Zax's cry agonized and wet with blood.

The PHS slipped from ees unresponsive fingers, but just before it hit the mako lake now blood, ee woke up.

It took em a moment to come back to emself, ee was on Pollensaltas sofa. Zax blessedly alive and snoring beside em beneath the blankets, his face turned in against ees shoulder. There was a fire crackling in the wood stove, its golden shifting light illuminating the ceiling and beams above.

But ee sensed some threat still, not malevolent like that cave had been, the one ee now realized had been borrowed from the place Veld had kept em hostage the previous year. No this feeling was simply dangerous, familiar even.

Sitting up and pulling one of the Gongaga style blanket about ees shoulders, Kunsel swung ees feet to the floor. Casting ees eye toward the fire, ee saw just who ee had expected. Pollensalta was awake also, stitching together a new blanket by the light of the fire.

She must have heard em getting up, because she looked back over her shoulder, seeing em she smiled and patted the rug beside her.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked when ee had joined her, she didn't wait for a response. "I'm not surprised."

Ee was puzzled by her saying so, how could she have guessed ee had trouble sleeping.

Ees puzzlement must have shown, because her smile turned little ruefully. "I know something, or maybe a lot of things must have happened for you to be here looking for that Monear. The one with your face, right? I can't imagine any of it was good."

"There was a man named Fuhito, he used to be with Avalanche around the time I joined. He took some of my blood and used it to create imperfect copies, enhanced soldiers of his own to fight ShinRas forces. I think that's what must have happened to Doctor Monear, who was also with the first iteration of Avalanche, and closs to Fuhito." It was almost as easy to talk to Pollensalta, as it was to her nephew after ee had gotten to know Zax. Maybe it was the way Zax had always spoken highly of his aunt, but ee was sure ee could trust her too.

"Raven soldiers."

"Yes, you know of them." It wasn't a question, just a statement. Ee didn't doubt that living out here in the time frame that she had, meant she was well acquainted with Raven soldiers, and possibly even the augmentation facility that had been based in the area.

"There was a building out here, built in to the side of a rise. Those who were singled out to be augmented as ravens were taken there to undergo the process. I would have done something about it myself after tracing them to the building, but my Zax got to it first."

So shad had known of the laboratory before its destruction. "I owe Zax for that." Ee expressed earnestly.

"I can tell you love him a whole lot." Pollensalta stated unexpectedly.

Ees face warmed. "Oh uuh umm." Was the best Kunsel could do.

She laughed softly. "It takes the very best kind of friend, to bring someone back from death, so many years after their passing. I feel we can call any kind of debt you think you owe, settled. Thank you for saving him, he deserved better then what fate dealt him. And I have to say, I admire your willingness to fight even the current fate."

Kunsel glanced towards Zax, still snoring soundly. "We agreed a long time ago to have each others back, and to meet up again."

She leveled a steady approving expression on him. "Zax loves you just the same, I can read it in that new ink of his. That sun motif and the partnered enata would be Baltos handy work, yes I taught him well too." She wore the same smart smile after complimenting her own legacy, that Zax did when he was jesting or bragging.

Kunsel couldn't keep from smiling in turn, it was catching, rather than alienating as ee often found a smile in ees lower moments.

She ladled them each a drink from an ornately carved wood bowl, that ee suspected might be her own handy work.

Reviving the rink, Kunsel recognized the muddy looking liquid as the beverage Zax had given em during their stay in Gongaga, to help em sleep.

"I might be living like a hermit out in the snowy far off, but I can't do without it. And I have the best supplier, only ever sells noble roots none of that tudei stuff. This is the heavy variety for sleeping."

Kunsel lifted the mug she had offered em, Pollensalta mirroring the gesture, then they both downed their share.  
_

When morning came, Zax was awake first, a rarity these days. So had just finished making a breakfast of chunky fruit salad, deep fried banana toast and hash browns, with pan fried herby tomatoes. The tomatoes being a recipe of Kunsels.

"Yumm, is that a fried breakfast I smell?" Coming down from her mezzanine bed in the other room, Polle sat at the table, hair disheveled and shoulders cloaked in one of the blankets of her own making.

"Yup, and I heated up the hash browns I found in your freezer." Zax reported.

"What's this about breakfast?" Kunsel rasped, emerging from the nest that was the couch. Ee looked a little more rested than ee had an a while.

Zax just grinned at em over his shoulder. Plating up for the three of them, he got comfortable beside his best friend so that their shoulders meet.

"Your banana toast, it's been a while." Kunsels smile was a wobbly one.

Zax got the impression it wasn't so much about the toast that he hadn't made since his disappearance, as it was about there being together again, and the little proofs of that fact. He felt the same way, it was like nothing had changed save that the two of them were admittedly worse for wear. But at the same time, every little thing held new significance.

"So!" Polle got out past her first big bite of the fried meal. "Not to spoil breakfast, but you're tracking someone, and I know where he was last."

He sat up a little straighter. "Monear, you have some info on the guy?"

Polle deferred to Kunsel with a nod, polishing off another few bites of her breakfast.

Kunsel chewed slowly and thoughtfully, seemingly putting what ee wanted to say in order. "I'm thinking that when he disappeared from Felicia's hold. It was Fuhito who broke him out, they were always two of a kind. They probably came here to the Great Glacier and…" Ee looked perturbed. "It's just a guess, but Monear may have undergone the raven augmentation process."

"But that building where the Raven soldiers were being augmented, it's self since destructed. So if he was turned into a raven by Fuhito all those years back, will he still be here? And how come Geostigma didn't get him if he has J cells?" Zax wondered.

"Humm! That's where I come in." Polle spoke up. "A while back, before I sensed you return from the lifestream Zax, I saw who I thought was your friend Kunsel, here in the north. I was in town at Icicle, and Monear was leaving the door of a house that used to be abandoned, I went after him thinking to ask about Zax. But then I saw that the person I had taken for you Kunsel, had no scar crossing their lip." She addressed Kunsel. "When I last saw you, you had a wound crossing your mouth that would have left a scar, like the one you have now."

Zaxs eyes followed the memory of the injury, now a pale line. It was given to Kunsel by the commander of their first mission together, who had been a covert deepground operative conscripting Wutai combatants. "So because you already knew about the ravens, you put two and two together." Zax realized.

"Yes, but I thought Monear was just some unfortunate soul. Now I get the impression that's not the case." Polle frowned.

"Not at all." Zax intoned, brows pulling together. "Monear tried to kill K the other day, let eight behemoth loose on Midgar plate."

"But between the two of us, we tidied up." Kunsel assured.

This last got a grin from Polle. She glanced from Kunsel to Zax, pride clear in the fold of her arms and the upward tilt of her head. She held out her hand. "Your PHS Kunsel?"

Ee handed it to her, and bringing up the satellite map she marked a location, then returned the device. "That's the house Monear was staying in, you might find clues, or he may return even. So what will you do now?"

"Find Monear." Kunsel decided.

"Head on over!" Zax declared in the same breath, punching with one hand in to the palm of the other.

They shared a look and in sync added. "After we help with washing up."

Once the dishes were cleaned and dried, the two of them had taken Pollensalta up on her offer to use the bath. Next they dressed in their snow proof trousers and insulated coats, at last returning to the main room to collect their boots packs and swords, still propped by the door.

"Ready to go?" Polle asked, her words muffled by her biting off a thread in her stitching.

"All set." Zax had just slung the buster over his back.

Unfolding her legs to stand from the sofa. She drew both Zax and Kunsel in to a hug, draping the blanket around them both in the same action. Her tone was colored with affection when she requested. "Visit now and then, won't you?"

"Of course." Kunsel assured.

"Now that we know where to come, we'll visit at least for december month calibrations, but hopefully other occasions too, if you'll have us." Zax agreed keenly.

"Consider yourselves welcome any time." She let a long satisfied breath out her nose. "Alright, off with you. And, take care out there."

"Got it." Zax gave her a last squeeze. Stepped out the door with Kunsel. And waving themselves off, they headed down the mostly snow cloaked path from Pollenseltas cabin. Then oblivion carried them away.


	10. Chapter 10

Reappearing in Icicle, the snow fall resumed landing on their heads and on to the blanket they wore about their shoulders, when the void retreated once more.

The two of them had emerged, hidden from view in a copse of pine trees. So skirting the town by the treeline, they circled around to the abandoned house Pollensalta had marked on Kunsels map.

Wearing beanies scarves and anti glare ski goggles, they were hard to recognize. But by mutual understanding, were approaching the structure cautiously regardless, only stepping from cover when they were as close as they could get.

With a look towards Kunsel, Zax kicked open the door. The half second after, Kunsel cast shield. But their concern that the door might be rigged with a trap was thankfully unfounded.

Tentatively they entered. Zax keeping watch by the door, making sure that they wouldn't be followed or taken unaware.

Inside the place was bleak, only one moldering rug and a cushioned chair represented any comfort. The rest of the space was crowded with archaic computers. When Kunsel flicked the switchs, the cool light from the domed interior ceiling, emanated from a dusty chandelier and an examination light, .

It was the computers that caught Kunsels interest. Booting one of them up, it's built in monitor also flicker to life, ee began sifting through green text. "No way!"

"What is it?" Zax asked, a little alarmed.

"These log entries, they're by professor Gast. Avalanche had info on him, he was the head of ShinRa science before Hojo, and the one who began the Jenova project. But at some stage, he resigned and left, helped Ifelna the last full blood Cetra escape with him in to hiding."

"Aeriss parents." Zax realized. "They lived here?"

"Seems that this is where they ended up yes, but I guess they were found out by Hojo eventually." Ees voice was edged with bitterness.

"Manage to find anything on Monear?"

"Yeah, he's copied those DNA sequences we learned about from Violet and Able in bone village onto the computer, and there's a bunch of variants here too. Looks like he was interested in trying to artificially replicate that DNA for use in creating hybrids."

"So this is where he's been devising his monsters?" Zax thought back on the behemoths loosed in Midgar. So much more ferocious, larger too than other Behemoth he had seen in the wild. They had probably been bred or augmented for the job of Killing Kunsel. But Zax was a hybrid as well, the result of JENOVA interacting with humans in the distant past. It was also probable that Kunsel was a hybrid of another more enigmatic sort. Monear was fighting fire with fire.

"Seems like, but not where he's been keeping them. This place isn't big enough to house multiple behemoths." Ee frowned, like ee was considering something more. But didn't put words to it, instead ee made for the stairs down to a lower floor.

Zax moved post to the top of the stairs, still keeping an eye on the door, but able to watch Kunsel from his new vantage point.

The lower floor was a lot more settled and homely. With carpet, a large area rug in a bold design, a comfy looking if hospital like bed, a big hutch, and a window to let in daylight. There was also an arch leading to a back room by the hutch, but it was unlit and hard to make out from the angle he stood at.

"Huh, seems like Monear was trying to find himself an unscrupulous transporter to take his monsters in to Midgar. Feooow cost him a few gleaming gil to set those things on the other station workers an me." Ee waved a financial diary above ees head for Zax to see, while ee went through the rest of the papers left out on the hutch counter. "But, I had a thought earlier, and this compounds it…" Ee was about to explain. When ees visible eye turning towards the back room, and ee lept away from the hutch, drawing ees sword in the same instant and casting shield.

Zax dropped down to the lower floor as soon as he had seen the look on ees face. Both of them landed shoulder to shoulder, just as a deathclaw bigger than it should have been, barreling from the back room, began furiously scrabbling at the shield until the magic dissipated.

The monster charged at them, boney talons swinging, tearing at everything in its path. But it didn't get far. With Zax going high, and Kunsel cutting low, they dispatched the attacking creature in a coordinated offense.

Landing from his volte into the air, Zax looked to Kunsel as he rosse, making sure ee was unharmed. "Man this dude's really stuck in a rut with the monster thing huh?"

Kunsel who was checking the back room to make sure there were no more house sized monsters, hummed ees agreement. "What I was going to say, before being interrupted by Claws here." E gestured to the monster entering mako burn up. "Was that I think Monear only recently learned were I've been living, otherwise he would have come after me sooner. I also think that he knew I would track the courier if the behemoths didn't get me, The deathclaw was an insurance policy."

"Huh, Monear underestimated you then."

"Us." Kunsel smiled over ees shoulder.

Zax grinned back. Then more soberly. "You haven't said anything about Monear being an augmented raven soldier. If you don't want to talk about it you can say so, but if it would help…"

"Let's get back outside under the sun first."

Leaving the abandoned house for the open skies and snow scape, they made for the inn so that they could return their room key.

"I uh…" Kunsel started. "Mostly I've learned to live with what Fuhito did to me personally. Thinking of his victims though, that's harder and I haven't quite come to terms with it. Especially what was done to Essai and Sebastian, and what you went through trying to save them."

"You know it's not your fault."

"Yeah, yes...in a distant way."

"It was Fuhito who did what he did to the ravens, and he was the one who gave them their orders. You were just the first victim, and a seriously injured kid at the time, he took your blood without your permission too."

"Still, I wish I had acted or something when I started to get the sense Fuhito was going off the rails. I know Falecia feels the same way."

"He was in Wutai or the Great Glacier, while you were in Midgar. He had Falecia so busy trying to get the rest of Avalanche through each conflict alive. He purposely made it so there was nothing either of you could do."

"It makes it easier to accept when you say it." Kunsel admitted.

"Self doubt is like that ay."

Once they returned the key at the inns reception, it was back out into the cold, this time to leave Icicle.

"So where to now?" Zax wondered.

"My best guess? Gongaga."

"What really, did you find some clue?"

"We'll it's either Gongaga, Condor, or the WRO headquarters. And I doubt it's condor or the WRO with all the onetime Avalanche types living in those locations. They would recognize Monear as a raven."

"So Gongaga then?"

"Yeah, it's the only place I've been outside of Midgar, since Tifa Shelke Cissnei the others and I got back from investigating the DMW and Killmister. So I'm assuming Monear was in Gongaga when he spotted me, and I don't know, recognized my bunker gear as the type worn by volunteers working Midgars stations maybe."

Zax nudged em under the blanket as they walked. "How do you do that, just suss it all out? It's pretty impressive you know."

"I could still be wrong." Ee reminded.

"Possibly, but somehow I reckon you're right." Zax drew the void up about them like the blanket they wore.

When the void fell away, they were standing in Cissnei Balto and Kameas backyard in full snow gear, during a sweltering Gongagan night.

"Ugh, I can feel my skin liquefying." Kunsel laughed as ee struggled with ees boots, and Zax shed his jacket.

Leaving their jackets, boots, and other outer layers on the couch on the back porch. They made their way inside past the bead curtain, dressed in their tank tops and leggings. Bringing with them only their materia, swords, and handsets.

"It hasn't been a year already has it?" Asked Balto looking up from a book, and turning his reading lamp to a brighter setting.

"Nope, it's unfinished business. Oh and by the way, we saw auntie Polle today." Zax informed.

"What! Polle!"

"Yeah, she's living on the ancestral lands."

"The Great Glacier?"

"That's it, her cabins out that way."

"Ok ok…I'll think about that later." Balto shook his head to clear his thoughts. "You mentioned unfinished business, something's up Zax, what is it."

"It's complicated." Kunsel sat, legs folded, across from Balto. "Have you or cissnei seen any monsters around recently? Or a person who might be keeping their face concealed?"

"What have you got in to?" Balto eyed Zax accusingly.

"It's not his fault." Kunsel defended.

"Someone covering their face?" Cissneis voice reached them from the direction of the bedrooms, she emerged dressed in a light morning gown. "That could have been a description of you at one point." She reminded. "But yes, I do happen to know about something of the sort. You'll remember we talked about employees of a land luxury development firm, last time you were here? They wear hazard suits, surgical masks, and the like to avoid mako poisoning in the areas were they camp and work."

"Of course!" Kunsel realized. "That employee who was in the area despite the break, that must have been Monear, tending to the monsters."

"As in the researcher, the one that died in ShinRa holding?" Balto asked confusedly.

Zax folded his arms and sat also.

"Uhhh, well actually I falsified his death, and broke him out of there, he was undercover with Avalanche." Kunsel shrugged helplessly.

Cissneis lips twitched in the suggestion of an understanding smile mostly suppressed. "It's just as well, he would have given Avalanche up under interrogation and torture, a lot of people would have been placed in danger."

"So what's the plan?" Zax asked. "We find and storm the employees camp site, wherever it may be in Gongaga's Jungle. give Monear a beat down he'll remember, then uh...improvise? It was the best I could do on short notice." He defended when Balto looked sideways at him.

"Sounds about as good as any plan to me, but we're going to need backup in Junon were the employing firm is based." Kunsel considered.


	11. Chapter 11

"Good point, if we make this strike decisive, we can head off another potential ShinRa situation, and prevent drawn out hostilities down the road. I might call felicia, see if she's interested in meeting us in Junon to pay a visit to this luxury developers headquarters, as well as the homes of the bosses and investors." Cissnei mused in that overly casual way of hers.

"In that case, if we hope in your guyses helicopter I can get you to Junon through oblivion, then you can fly the helicopter back." Zax volunteered.

"Kamea should come with us too, been a bit since Kamea got to do any travelling. Plus he's safer with us." Balto thought aloud.

Kunsel recommended. "Give old puff trouble a call too ay, Cloud and the seventh heaven lot will give you a hand I'm sure."

"Also Reno and Rude will want to get in on it, Rufus will be glad for them to have the opportunity too." Cissnei put in.

Balto darted in to another room for a case of flares. Emerging he declared. "One of my favorite riot accessories."

With everyone coordinated, and a loos plan decided on, they were out the back door. Cissnei only pausing to retrieve an old looking hand held device from the miscellaneous draw.

On his way down the deck steps, Zax addressed Kunsel. "You go on ahead and look for the camp to the left of the peak were we gathered on New year. When I get back from dropping the others off in Junon, I'll take the right hand portion of the Jungle. If we split up we can cover more ground, and hopefully Monear wont give us the slip."

"It's risky…" Kunsel's tone was anxious. The blades of the helicopter beginning to rotate, creating a rhythmic gusting that tugged at the loose strands of ees hair.

"If anything happens we'll have our handsets switched to vibrate, and PHS tracking so we can find each other. At the first sign of trouble, we shoot each other an sos." Taking two flares from Balto as his cousin passed. "We'll use these if need be, for indicating an exact position between the trees."

This seemed to persuade Kunsel, who gave a nod. Clapped Zax on the shoulder, on ees way to the treeline at the back of the yard, that represented the Jungle border.

For his part, Zax climbed into the helicopter, now free of its tarp cover. Sitting himself next to a still sleepy Kamea. Cissnei and Balto were already in the pilot and copilot seats respectively.

"My cousin can take us to where we need to be, fast. Don't worry it's safe." Balto explained to Kamea who had never traveled via the void before.

Kamea gestured. "Just the usual then?"

Zax got the idea that with Balto and Cissnei for partners, he had experienced his fair share of weirdness already.

So without waiting for further explanations, the otherworldly smoke and sound guided them away from Gongaga toward Edge. The helicopter arriving in the air over the seventh heaven, the bar thankfully closed during the day.

Jumping from the aircraft, Zax landed on the roof behind the sign by the water tank. From there he got the roof access hatch open, quickly jogging down stairs when he found no one on the second floor.

At the bar, discussing the menu with Malene, Tifa and Aeris jumped with surprise. While Cloud and Barret, who were helping Denzel with the dishes, similarly started.

Shelke was visiting too. From her usual place by the window, she offered a collected nod, rather than taking fight at Zax sudden appearance from the above floor.

"The planet did you come from just now?" Barret wanted to know.

"Cissneis helicopter's in the air above." Zax got out.

"Is this related to Kunsel asking about the WRO flight patterns?" Shelke guessed.

"What's the matter, is something going on?" Aeris cut in.

"Yes to both. We have a situation in Gongaga, and need to arrange coordinated support in Junon. Up for a little direct action against some luxury developers?" Zax offered.

"Let me get my premium heart gloves." Was Tifa's response.

"They can count on us right?" Marlena asked her father.

Barret laughed. "Well, if I stay to take care of you two kids and our base here. Then Spiky Tifa Aeris and Shelk sure can."

Aeris twirled her fairytail for emphasis. Tifa had come back down stairs adjusting her gloves for the perfect fit, lightly punching her girlfriends shoulder.

Cloud swept his hair in to a tail, and lifting his fusion sword from the corner asked. "I take it we're heading for Junon?"

"I'm not busy." Shelke pocketed her PHS and stood, determined anticipation and mako causing her eyes to burn bright the color of a sunset.

"We'll stop at Midgar first, pick up a few friends." Zaxs own energy mirroring that of his friends.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Aeris prompted, though she looked a little apprehensive when she saw oblivion beginning to circle.

Zax didn't blame her, these powers had come to him from JENOVA after all, he was just grateful to her for being willing to endure it.

"You three be safe now, ya hear?" Barret called after his motley family. Malene and Denzel waved after them also.

"We'll be alright." Cloud assured.

In an instant they were Jostling for space in the helicopter. Then the helicopter itself was again taken by oblivion, reappearing above the way between sector 8 and sector 0 Midgar.

Zax got Reno on the COMM, while they closed in on Station 0.

"Listen, I've got a favor to ask."

"Yeeeeaaah?" Came Reno's response. "didn't know you were back on the plate."

"Just arrived, the others and I could use your, Rudes and Felicia's help in Junon. Running some bads out of the place."

"Bads?"

"Luxury property developers."

"Oh we're so there, don't you worry. We'll meet you outside station zero, by that weird modern art thing?"

"See you then, be ready to take a shortcut." Zax emphasized the last word, knowing the turk would understand him.

Sure enough, Felicia along with Reno and Rude, were waiting when they arrived. Climbing the ladder Zax unfurled for them, they were soon aboard.

Oblivion gave way at last, to evening in the booming city of Junon. Sea birds cawing and scattering as they landed at the airport, the sound of waves rolling in and retreating down the beach greeting them over the ever present roar of air traffic, when the door was slid open.

Reno casting about at their surroundings, lowered his eye wear to counteract the sinking sun. "Oblivion lag."

"It's been a while." Rude put in, also taking in the city through tinted lenses.

"I remember it well." Felicia commented, moving her hand to rest on the hilt of her Wutai style sword. "When the sister canon was still here, I fought Sephiroth by its base. At the time we were evenly matched, I wonder if I'll ever be so strong again."

Zax recalled that Felicia's new year resolution, was to return to and dust off her fighting skill. "Oh, been there." Zax said. "Except I came out worse for wear, close thing though. So if you can beat me, you'll at least be on your way." He encouraged. "I'll be waiting for your challenge!"

"I'll take you up on that."

"In the mean time." Aeris cut in. "We've got some sabotage to be getting on with."

Tifa flaxed an arm and patted her bicep.

Observing this, Shelke mentioned. "Then if you've got the physical side of things covered, I'll cover infiltration, see if I can't start a few fires." So saying, she stepped forwards and utilizing her unusual powers vanished to their eyes.

Cloud smiling in his usual milled way, said. "We'll phone in when we're done, you get back and make sure your partner's doing ok."

"Take care out there cuz." Balto urged.

Zax gave them all a wobbly smile. "Thanks everyone, I mean it."

"No problem." Reno who was already making for the city, called back. "Now get going." He lifted a hand in parting before returning it to his pocket.

The others followed after Reno. Though Cissnei hung back long enough to give him the device she had brought with her.

"It's a biosignal raydar, designed for locating ravens." She explained. "Reeve made it. Actually he latter pased online monitors on this design." With that, she followed after the others.

Zax shielded from view by the helicopter, stepped into the void, reemerging amid the trees of Gongaga.  
_

Soon ee had slipped deep into the dens towering jungle that was so distinctive of the area.

During the day, the thick canopy provided shade and cool relief, at night however it released heat and moisture from the damp dark earth. Above the leaves rustled, swaying in the winds whipped up by a tropical storm, moving in off the ocean. The smell of salt mingled with that of sweet ripe fruit.

When at last the tangle of the terrain gave way, it was in to an unnatural clearing, the trees having been dragged away for milling and the earth cleared for construction. Already a pool was being set in to the ground.

Most indicative of Monears presence, were the cages across the other side of the clearing, around which several Kimaira bugs scuttled and one maximum Kimaira prowled restlessly.

Tents provided work spaces, Trailers temporary housing for the employees. Beyond the accommodations, emanated the unsteady light of a campfire, voices accompanying it.

Keeping low across the clearing, Kunsel leaned around one of the trailers. Ee frowned when ee heard what they were discussing.

"...sabotaged, that was weeks worth of work." One of them grumbled.

"Well, no matter. Won't be long till Monear's beasties run the dirty lot out, then we get paid the rest of what we're owed." Said another.

Ee realized that Monear was supporting his monster based revenge, probably by pitching their usefulness as a weapon of intimidation to his employers, one that might be passed off as natural phenomena unrelated to any companies interests.

Ee couldn't let Monear take this any further, Misses Fair Cissnei Balto Kamea, and scores more all called Gongaga their home.

"Who the…" A third man blustered, but never got to finish. When Kunsel stepped in to the camp.

Before the burly employee could rise from his collapsible chair, Kunsel had kicked him back in to it, so that man and chair both toppled backwards.

One of the other two was running for em, as if to snare em from behind while ees back was turned.

Kunsel pivoted, turning ees front kick in to a sidekick that propelled ees would be attacker in to the leaflitter and mud, leaving him winded and gasping.

The third man had produced a switchblade that gleamed in the campfire's flickering light.

The first man had scrambled back to his feet. So dodging his weighty but unskilled punch, Kunsel caught him by the collar and belt to hurl him at the one with the knife. The two went down in a tangle.

Crossing over to them, ee tied them securely with their own belts, and retrieved the switchblade from where it had fallen.

Next ee turned ees attention to the last man, still winded. Binding him in the same fashion. "Where's Monear?" Ee asked the three. "Tell me that, and I won't have to get it out of you the hard way." Ee further immobilized the men by chaining them to one of the trailer tongues.

"The Jungle somewhere." The man who had tried to punch em answered, as expected there was no loyalty between these people. "There are maps in the work tents, maybe that'll tell you where exactly."

Knowing that the last suggestion could be a trap, ee held the knife ee had procured at the ready, on ees way to investigating the work tents.


	12. Chapter 12

"Alright, now where would a work camp be…" Materia and sword at the ready, Zax strode forward in to the dense foliage, covering ground methodically. Eyes oscillating between the Gongagan landscape, and the screen of the biosignal raydar.

It was hummied. The uneven sometimes slushy terrain, beneath the mesh shoes he had borrowed from balto Cissnei and Kameas front door, was dangerous to navigate. On top of that the touchme song was raucous, making it hard to pick out other sounds that might point the way to a camp.

But soon the biosignal raydar lead him to the beam of a torch light through the trees, catching the droplets of water rolling off the leaves, and occasionally silhouetting the one holding the light.

He followed after them, quietly moving through the plant life, until it began to thin as they reached coarse grass and the coast.

The person was exactly Kunsel's height and build. But he didn't have time to dwell on weather or note this might be Monear, or by coincidence another Raven copy. Because suddenly the beam of light was on him.

"Come on out then, stealth was never your style." The vague form behind the light invited, over the sound of waves.

With the light in his eyes, Zax couldn't make out the face, but there was no doubt that that was Kunsel's voice. Dulcet and smoky around the edges, crackling on the more throaty sounds, unmistakable.

Lightning flashed soundlessly out at sea.

Zax glared in to the beam. "Monear, I won't forgive you for trying to kill em." Loud in to the salt air, to be heard over the roll of thunder that reached them belatedly.

The beam was lowered, and at last he looked upon the raven. Sure enough Monear wore Kunsel's face, only he bore no scars, all his fingers accounted for. There was no earring in his left ear eather, the false image of a Kunsel who had lived a different life, the truth of em forgotten by the copying processes that Monear had undergone as part of the raven augmentation. He styled his hair differently too. "So, Siege figured out I've become a raven, and warned you I might share the same face." Monear deduced.

Zax cautiously circled to stand at an angle from Monear. "Ee told me. And ees name's Kunsel."

"Whatever ees name, ee will atone with ees life for what ee participated in." Monears tone stressed Kunsel's pronouns mockingly.

"Ee did the best ee could, and it was a lot. What else was one person supposed to do against ShinRa? Symbolically throw ees life away, taking on a militarized mega corporation alone, without anyone backing em up?"

"Why not?" Monear who had turned away, rounded on him snarling. "We're all parasites on this planet, one less burden for Gaia to bear."

It was awful hearing Kunsel's voice turned against him like that. In all their years of knowing each other, Kunsel had never shouted at him in anger, or uttered such hateful things. But it only tempered Zaxs resolve, further taking apart the illusion that there was anything of Kunsel in Monear.

"Huh, Kunsel said you and Fuhito were two of a kind, and you're just as wrong as Fuhito was. People aren't the problem, we produce enough resources every year to support everyone sustainable. The problem is your sort, the kind that buys into the myths promoted by those exploiting everyone else. Like president ShinRa, who profited from other people's misery and suffering and death, deflecting on to the people of Wutai, keeping everyone else under thumbs by dependence on jobs or mako or you name it. Just like these luxury property developers you've thrown your lot in with now. The sort that put their own gain and monopoly on power, before life on this planet."

"The fact remains, something has to happen for the planet to survive, and I'll side with the winning team. Remember that from the lifestream after I kill you."

"Winning team...you mean the type who wouldn't think twice about torturing Ifalna if there was something in it for them? Didn't you care about the Cetra?"

"I did once, while they were still alive. Now though I'll do whatever it takes to protect the planet in their place, even if it means I must commit a thousand more sins. It's easier with a face like this, waking up every day and hating my reflection, reminded of what I have to do."

"Well, killing K or anyone else isn't on the table." Zax hefted the buster, but when he did he found it to heavy to hold, the end buried itself in the sand. His vision spun nauseating with the movement. He staggered, his grip on the hilt the only thing keeping him upright. "Wah…?"

"I was undercover in ShinRas science division you'll remember. I understand Jenova, and I was able to synthesize a J cell suppressant from my blood. It can be released atmospherically." Monear held up an atomizer. "Without aroma or color, you didn't realize it, but you've been breathing it this entire time. Where as I've built up an immunity."

"Damn!" Zax knew he should use the last of his strength, to reach in to his pocket and send an SOS to Kunsel's handset. Every living instinct rebelled against the thought of returning to the lifestream, to that half awake existence, it was to soon for that. And he understood well that if he were to die now, it would likely be to much for Kunsel. But how could he call em to his aid, without warning Kunsel of the J cell suppressants first, he couldn't they would both be killed.

"I suppose I owe you." Monear murmured, stepping in close. "When you saved Kunsel during the geostigma epidemic, you inadvertently kept me alive as well. But I'm afraid I won't be returning the favor."

The strength in his legs giving out, his vision dappled over with dark spots, Zax toppled in to Monears waiting arms. Monear might have looked like Kunsel when he turned his impassive gaze down to look at Zax, but they weren't Kunsel's eyes, there was no affection or warmth in that otherwise identical silvery blue.  
_

Using a road cone as a funnel, Felicia finished pouring the last of her bucket of dirt sand and gravel, into the oil of the last of the companies diggers. Casting about She satisfied herself, that Rude was about finished cutting the hoses and wires of the rest of the bulldozers.

A determined set to her features that was almost a smile, heart strumming exhilarated, She rushed after Reno. Who quickest of the three of them, was holding the door Rude had cut in the chain link fence open for their escape, having completed the sabotage of the crains now ablaze.

Ducking through the opening, she turned to help Reno and Rude through also. Just as an alarm sounded.

They were going to have to make a run for it, the developers security office wasn't far from this work site, and they had been seen on several cameras. They would be recognized.

Leading the way, her pulse thumping with one part adrenaline to one part abandon. Felicia dashed across the neighboring parking lot, followed by her comrades. Their aim the rendezvous point, were they would regroup with Cloud Shelke Aeris and Tifa, who had gone to toss the property of the bosses. And with Cissnei Balto and Kamea, who should be done hitting the investors properties.

But just then a vehicle, advertisements for luxury property on its sides, jackknifed off the busy road running by the parking lot. The car screeched to a halt in front of her, headlights dazzling.

She drew her sword with practiced ease, ready for the fight.

To her surprise however, Jemnezmy threw the door of the vehicle open, calling her. "Get in, there's a small security army coming this way, and you don't want to be here when they arrive."

Zangan beckon from behind the windshield.

Climbing in to the back seat. Felicia was quickly joined by Reno smiling that crooked wild smile, and Rude eyes as bright as the fires they had set.

She had missed this, making a difference directly threw her own actions, almost as much as she had dreaded returning to the memories it provoked. But now in the moment, all she felt was happiness sparking to life once more, small but growing.  
_

Kunsels PHS vibrated, it's ring echoing in ees head from ees nightmare. The number was Zaxs, ee answered the call immediately.

The person on the other end didn't wait for em to speak. "I have your friend, he's alive for now. Come to the cove." The voice was ees own.

Ee intoned. "Monear, you just asked to die." And ended the call.

"I'm coming buddy, hang in there." Kunsel whispered. Throwing down the papers ee had been sorting through, ee left the work tent at a run. Passing through the camp and its bound occupants, back into the thick of the rain forest.

Without slowing ee lept the tangles of roots, ducked low dripping branches, and vaulted streams turned rivers by the increasing ferocity of the tropical storm growing near.

The papers Kunsel had come across in the tent back at the camp, indicated Monear had formulated some kind of agent based on ShinRa's SOLDIER suppressants, used by Deepground. And ee got the impression from the collection of atomizers ee had come by, that Monear had devised a means of retaining its effectiveness, while deploying it in the air. Ee would have to end this quickly.

Crashing through the brush, and sliding on the soles of ees borrowed wet weather hiking boots, down a slope more slick grass and sand than clay or anything semi solid. Kunsel drew ees sword to face Monear. Who stood before the ocean, a flare billowing orange smoke planted in the sand by his boots.

But Monear already had an unconscious Zax in his arms. And held a switch blade back against his exposed neck, the edge already slicing in to skin.

The very atmosphere seemed to shudder with energy, lighting forked down from the sky far out over the water, towards the horizon.

"Good of you to show." Monear greeted. "Drop your sword now, or I'll kill him and consider that vengeance enough, his blood on your hands."

Monear was prepared to die, Kunsel realized. That made him still more dangerous. Ee grit ees teeth, and cast aside ees sword, it landed with a splash at ees feet in the high tide beginning to circle them.

"Good choice, hands in the air."

Having no say in the matter, Kunsel did as ee had been told. Very deliberately lifting ees hands, palms empty.

Zaxs life was in danger, time was limited. A desperate plan formulated in ees mind, even as ee willed it in to motion.

Setting Zax down in the shallow water by his boots, Monear produced a gun, which he aimed at Kunsels face.

A bright shot illuminated the cove, a shower of sand splattering up from the ground, caught in the freeze frame the instant of light had created. Then Monear gurgling hit the ground, splashing yet more seawater and sand up from the shore. His silhouetted form lay across Zaxs, unmoving while the waves washed up the sand to wrap around them, blood from where the meteorite had punched a hole through his head retreating with the salt water.

Hurrying to Zax, Kunsel pushed Monear off him, and hefting his best friend to ees shoulder, carried him down the beach out of range of the suppressants that might still be lingering in the turbulent air. Only then, collapsed in the sand next to Zax, did ee risk a gasping breath. The first followed by a second, third forth, fifth before ees vision stopped popping with lights.

Rolling onto ees side ee caught sight of the black materias strange light, reflected in the waterlogged sand still saturated with the days heat. The magic gradually untethering from the chunk of celestial mythril now buried in the beach.

Ee lay there puffing until Zaxs lashes fluttered. Sitting up, ee bent over him to take his shoulder and try to wake him. But even as ee reached across, Zax sat bolt upright.

"Aaachhh." Zax flopped back down, clutching his nose. "Sorry." He managed.

Kunsel similarly clutching ees smarting nose, brushed it off with a wave. "You're wake, that's good enough for me." 

* * *

**NA:** Cheers all for 105 hits, and thank you to the user who gave this fic a follow!


	13. Lost Act

Sitting up, Zax was looked back along the shoreline, his eyes grazing over Monear by the still smoking flare. "How did you avoid the stuff he used to knock me out?" He looked away again, the resemblance to Kunsel making the picture difficult to stomach.

"Held my breath." Ee informed simply. "I saw some papers at their camp, that indicated I might be contending with such a thing, so I held my breath just in case."

"You found their camp!"

"Yeah, the other employees all tied up for now. And if our friends have done their bit showing the bosses the door, then that lot won't be working this job any longer, I don't reckon they'll be a threat without a monetary incentive. We should let someone know where the camp is."

For an extended moment, zax considered just how close he had cut it. "Thanks for saving me." Looping his arms around ees shoulders. Oblivion dark and twisting, carried them away from the shore.  
_

When the phenomenon cleared, they sat on Cissnei Balto and Kameas deck, sheltered from the rain.

Kunsel hugged Zax tightly in turn, the now resting glow of the black materia catching in his soaked black hair. Zax was alive, ee couldn't help smiling a wobbly smile.

"You alright?" Zax wanted to know. Looking a little tearful himself.

Zax was safe, this time ee had prevented the worst from happening. Soon the others would return. Gongaga was no longer facing displacement.

Some invisible weigh slide from ees shoulders. While ee knew ee wasn't out of the woods just yet, ee had real hope that with Zax by em, ee would find ees way sooner or later. "Yeah, I'll be fine now." This time ee understood that it was true. Ee had taken one more step towards not so much reclaiming ees old life, as forging a new one. One that would fit em better as ee was now, fit em and importantly Zax too.

Zax kissed ees rain damp cheek. Then ee stood pulling Kunsel to ees feet also. Together they shed their drenched footwear tops and leggings, carrying the waterlogged clothing through to the washroom laundry, to be discarded in the washing machine. Then they rinsed the sand from their skin and hair, under the warm water of the shower head.

At last they procured two lavalavas and tshirts from the clean washing, folded in the basket still, fresh from the line.

While they dressed, Zax placed a call to the Mayor's house, informing her of the men and the monsters that Kunsel had mentioned were still at the camp.

Clean comfortable and dry again. The two of them retired to the sofa to sleep, with the quilt Pollensalta gifted them. Adrenalin thinning out, the exhaustion was seeping in.

They rested soundly through the remainder of the night, as well as the following day. Only waking, when they heard the racket of a helicopter landing, and voices from the back door.

"Cuz, so you are here still." Balto addressed Zax from the door, while kicking his shoes free of his heals.

Kamea made his way through the main room, signing. "Hey."

Looking like he were still blinking back his dreams, Zax waved in return. "Hey."

"How did things go this side?" Cissnei, pushing past Balto to drop tiredly in to one of the armchairs.

"It's all sorted." Kunsel assured. "Monear won't be a threat any longer, and the mayor is arranging for the men at the camp to be put on an early flight to Junon were they live. As for the monsters that were caged there, they are going to be loaded on to a ship, and taken to a sanctuary for dragons and the like that have been exposed to mako."

"How about youz, everything go smoothly?" Zax asked.

"Yeah, sept I got blasted with poison by a security officer, but Aeris healed me in the helicopter on the way back to Edge. Also Felicia's stayed behind in Junon with Jemnezmy and Zangan, she said before we left, that she wouldn't mind a visit from you two." Balto answered.

Zax looked to em, so ee nodded approvingly at the invitation. Ee was always glad of a chance to see Felicia, plus ee was still getting to know ees parents.

"Well if we're going to be paying your folks a visit, better make an effort huh." With that Zax disappeared into the shower, to clean of properly this time.

"How are Reno and Rude then?" Kunsel next inquired.

Cissnei just smiled fondly.

"I think we can all agree the past few hours counts towards our atonement. Anyway, you and the cuz'll see them soon enough. But before we let you go, how about we get some tucker ready? You two should have something to eat before you strike out." Balto put in.

"Good call." Kunsel offered. "I'll make flatbread."

Balto grinned, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the kitchen.

So while Kamea and ee prepared a dinner of flat bread with toppings and sauce. Balto squeezed fruit of their juice to make cordial. Cissnei on the other hand, headed out to the yard when Zax emerged from the shower, and beckoned her follow him.

With the food ready, Kamea Kunsel and Balto joined them outside.

"Oh, looks amazing!" Zax said when he spotted them dishing up. He and Cissnei were just washing their hands with the hose. Beside them on the deck, wrapped in newspaper, were the roots and cuttings of the plant used for making Gongagas traditional beverage.

"Get tucked in." Kunsel prompted. "I'm going to have a shower too."  
_

When oblivion lifted it was to a sunny day. Kunsel and he stood on Junons harbor beach, the designated meeting place.

There to great them was Felecia, Reno Rude Zangan and Jemnezmy with her.

A small smile lit up Felicia's face. Jogging over the sand to meet them halfway, she wrapped her arms first around Kunsel, then about Zax also. "I'm glad you're both alright." Her voice had always had a similar singed quality to Kunsel's, but now it held a little extra rasp. She had been worried, and it was no wonder. Fuhito had created the raven soldiers and kidnap her Avalanche operatives to do so, the prospect of a hostile raven threatening her friends must have been a scare.

"We all are." Once Felicia had stepped back, Zangan came forward next to clap a hand on each of their shoulders.

Jemnezmy, unfolding her arms to tuck her hands in her pockets. Nodded her agreement, a smile disappearing behind a curtain of grey and blond hair.

"Cheers for inviting us here you lot." Zax thanked, genuinely pleased by the gesture. From under his arm, he untucked one of the two news paper parcels he had brought along. "We arrive with dinner, or uh lunch in this timezone!"

"Now you're talking." Reno joked.

Having already eaten, Zax handed the parcel to Felecia. She in turn joined the others on the steps leading down to the harbor, to share out the flatbread. Freeing Kunsel and him up to explore the waterline.

"Sorry for not calling when I realized something was off, like I said I would." Zax apologized, turning his eyes from the horizon to find Kunsel by his side.

"I understand why you hesitated, you didn't want me to get hurt. Not a lot of time to act before that stuff knocked you out too."

Zax knew why it was Kunsel understood, ee had faced the worst once. "Monear had a hostage and a gun, how did you do it?"

Kunsel lifted the patch ee wore over ees dark materia eye and winked at him.

Zax grinned. "You know, I reckon it suits you."

"I've warmed to it." Then straying from the topic, because ee felt ee needed to have it said. "I don't know if I can face returning to Midgar to stay." Kunsel admitted.  
_

"Yeah, agree." And Zax realized he did agree, despite not having dwelt on the thing.

"Huh?"

"Well, I think in a way, Midgar will always be as close a thing to home as either of us come…"

"But, at this point we've both been through to much." Kunsel finished for him.

"Exactly. Wandering souls the two of us."

"I'll feel bad leaving Felicia, she just moved in."

"She has Fang Noa and the others. Plus we'll see her, we have to visit for december month, my flying lessons too."

"True, so where to now?" Kunsel cast ees gaze out to sea, the the sun glittering off it's surface.

"Follow the stars maybe?" Zax smiling wistfully, took Kunsels hand short a few fingers. His other hand he extended to the sky, imagining that he could reach beyond the atmosphere.

Weaving their fingers together, Kunsel spoke softly. "Not a bad idea."

"Zax!" Felicia's voice hailed him from further up the beach. "Up for that match you promised me?"

"You know it!" Zax shot back.

Jemnezmy called. "I'm referee!" Around a piece of Kunsels flatbread.

Pointing to Kunsel, Zangan spoke up. "While zax is occupied. You and me, best out of three!"

Reno and Rude where already part way through a friendly sparring, Reno's breathless cackling stirring some seabirds in to flight.

Kunsel and Zax shared a look, then splashing from the water, raced one another to where the others waited.

Beyond the atmosphere, the stars charted a map to freedom.

* * *

 **AN:** The FFVII: Fan Compilation is complete! writing this became such a prominent and fond part of my life, so I hope it's also been a fun adventure for you reading.

On that note, a big thank you to everyone who read, and followed. And an especially big thank you to my best friend, for helping me feel confident that these stories are worth telling, despite my dyslexia.

Youz all take care out there!


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